Responsibilities of a Crack Tactician
by Pikanam
Summary: A tactician with no memory of his past is immediately put on the spot as he is given the task to command a small band of fighters. In his journey, he will face many hard decisions, tragedies,many great adventures, and Armageddon. He will meet many new friends, enemies, and a certain someone who will change his life forever. Chapter 7: In writing stage. Support 1: Typing stage
1. Remembrance

**Chapter 1: Remembrance**

Robin brushed his blonde hair to the side with his hand and pulled his hood over his head and sneaked off into the shadows of his tent with his cloak easily blending in making him tenebrous. A day filled with sweat, blood, and pain for the shepherds. A strenuous battle unfolded at the bridge on their way to Regna Ferox, as they encountered and battled against the clumsy but fearless Risen. Luckily, the only thing they got from the confrontation were minor cuts and bruises but now they have caught a glimpse of what this new threat is capable of. No one knows for sure where they came from but one thing is for sure. If it sees you, it will hunt you down. The young prince decided to make camp in an open field in the middle of the woods to rest for the night and heal up, the tents in a circular formation with a fire place in the center. The shepherds in a single line formed in front of Lissa's tent, hoping her medical prowess can ease the pain and let them sleep more comfortably.

Taking light, gentle steps to avoid being heard by the shepherds, he tiptoed further ahead until he was out of the vicinity. Music could be heard all over the forest as the crickets each sung their elegant song. A low wind rustled the leaves in the trees making them appear as if they were dancing with the rhythm of tune. Bright yellow canaries retreated to the safety of their nest at the sight of the sunset. After walking for a few minutes he exited out. At the corner of his eye, he noticed a gentle slope a couple of yards ahead and leisurely sauntered towards its peak. At the top of the hill, he gazed upon the magnificent view. The sun's glimmering light weakened the more it descended, giving Robin a chance to look at it as it made its way towards the horizon. The lush of vegetation that covered the land waved blissfully creating peace and tranquility. A mild wind blew across his face, taking away his troubles. Robin pulled his hood back giving a loud sigh as he gazed at the sunset feeling awe struck. At the top where he stood, he could see everything; puffs of white floating in the ocean of blue with a mix of hues of orange. Lush green grassy plains. To his left was the dirt road leading to Regna Ferox.

"Such a beautiful sight," slowly closing his eyes and tilting his head up taking a whiff of refreshing air. He recollected everything that has happened so far. Along with that, he tried remembering who he was but all he could see was a blank page. He grew a little frustrated gritting his pearly white teeth but quickly calmed down. He took another deep breath through his nostrils and exhaling out his mouth repeating the process a few times. _Easy Robin, things like _these_ take time so it's best not to rush it._

"Who am I? Why am I here? Why can't I remember anything about my past?" Placing his hand on his forehead rubbing it to clear his headache. His mind came up with different images of his encounter with the exalted prince. Each image reflecting the events leading to him taking charge of a small army.

Robin couldn't resist talking to himself in disbelief. "Man, how did I get myself in the position I'm in? Two days ago, I wake up in the middle of an open field with no memory whatsoever, I do a little fighting, come up with a few tactics and now here I am as the tactician of the Shepherds." His attention turned to a nice, smooth rock. He walked towards it to sit and think in a thinker position.

Worry engulfed his face as he thought about the future. Tensions have been running high between Ylisse and their western cousin the land Plegia. Brigands from Plegia have been roaming around Ylisse attacking and ransacking villages by the border, a majority sent by the mandate of the Mad King Gangrel. If things don't change for the better, then war is bound to happen putting the lives of thousands of civilians in jeopardy. The last thing he wants is a war on his plate because if it does start then it'd likely be him leading the army. One small miscalculation in his strategies can lead to either life or death, the destruction of an army and a nation, the blame would be pinned entirely on him if all hell broke loose. Visioning the sound of steel clashing and the screams of thousands of innocent Ylisseans as they are mercilessly slaughtered staining the floors and walls in crimson red. Countless villages set ablaze with hundreds of motionless bodies in the streets.

He clenched his fists with determination. "We must not let Gangrel prevail. Though I don't know much about the man, I do know that he is willing to do anything to cause a war between us" Looking down with a sense of doubt. "If we can't gain extra troops then we're better off dead. Plegia has a vast amount of wealth so they clearly have the advantage on us with better weaponry and greatly outnumber us. If we can convince the Khan to aid us then we would stand a better chance."

The sun's heat started fading as it sank deeper in the horizon. Glittering stars started covering the sky and the whole field started getting dark, but the winds still blew softly with the tall grass waving and dancing.

"If war is upon us then the fate of whether we live or die depends entirely on me and I don't know if I will be able to live through that type of pain and pressure," he thought worriedly. After a couple of minutes, he distracted himself by thinking of other things. A smile came across his face after he thought of Chrom. Even though a lot of challenges have immediately come his way, he has made lots of new friends in this mission but still has trouble trying to fit in with the group.

"Chrom, the prince of the halidom of Ylisse. It's so strange that I knew his name but I couldn't remember mine. Did he show up in a dream or did I know him before I had amnesia? He was the one who found me and I lent him my strength and virtuosic skill of tactics to defeat those bandits in South Town. By offering my skills, knowledge and fighting abilities to defend him and his people he gave me his trust. He also gave me the role of tactician which is something I didn't sign up for but being named that is a very high honor indeed. Then there is Frederick the Wary, Chrom's protector and a proud knight of Ylisse. He never shows signs of fatigue and takes his job very seriously. When I woke up, he was very suspicious of me and asked me a lot of questions of why I was in the middle of the field. I still remember when he pointed his lance at me and I must admit I did feel frightened, but luckily Chrom intervened... Even now he has trouble leaving me with Chrom alone, but hopefully with time, I'll gain his trust. And then there is….."

Robin's train of thought broke off as soon as he heard footsteps behind him. Was it an enemy, a passerby, or a friend? Robin held the hilt of his sword hidden in his cloak and quickly stood and turned around.

"Who goes there?" aggressively pointing his sword at the suspect.

"EEEPPP," she replied frightened. The girl jumped back.

Robin squinted his eyes and tilted his head to the left trying to make out who it was. He saw a yellow and white dress and immediately recognized her face.

"Lissa? Is that you?" he asked cautiously.

"Hehehehe, of course it's me silly. Who did you think I was?" she laughed awkwardly.

Robin lowered and drew back his sword, concealing it back in his cloak. Struggling to find the right words to say, ashamed and disappointed of his actions. _Damn, what am I supposed to say now?_

He stared down disappointedly but looked at Lissa's eyes. "I'm… sorry Lissa, I didn't know it was you." He turned to look back at the sunset embarrassed about how he acted. He wished he could take that moment back but what else could he have done? "Why are you here anyways Lissa? Shouldn't you be back at camp healing the Shepherds?"

"Everyone is resting now and are in good condition. Nothing serious so that's some good news." Those were music to his ear. Though he is skilled in leading and fighting. He greatly dislikes fighting. All fighting brings is death and despair.

"That's good to hear". At least now he knew his plans didn't' cause serious injuries.

"Anyways, what are you doing out here Robin? Are you alright? I noticed movement in the bushes while I was checking on Sully and I quickly saw the weird patterns on the clothing. I figured it was your cloak. After I patched her up, well I made my way to the direction you went and well, here I am." asking shyly. Just looking at Lissa makes Robin feel safety and peace. One of the most innocent people you might ever see. Her smile makes even the grouchiest of people simper.

"Yes I'm fine. Thank you. I'm just taking a moment to savor the beautiful sunset. Sure, there will be many more days but today just feels like as if this is my first time watching it. I mean look at it, it's… it's just….. amazing." Orbs of light appeared in the field in front of them. Each orb moved in a zigzag motion and would flicker on and off. Dozens of fireflies lit up the upcoming night as they moved around the open plain.

Lissa didn't believe a word he said. She did realize though that this is sort of his first time watching it though because of his amnesia. She gave a look of concern but gave him a warm smile.

"Robin, you don't have to hide anything from me" saying in a cheerful voice. She walked closer and stood by his side. "I think I know what's running across your mind and if it helps I'll tell you this. I know that my brother has put a lot of responsibility on your shoulders in such little time but just relax and be yourself. Don't overthink things too much or you might cause big mistakes. As for your memory, well,… it just takes time, we'll help you figure out your past. You can count on us. If your memory doesn't comeback then we'll just have to help you create new ones."

His eyes widened. "Am I really that easy to read?" feeling flabbergasted.

"Actually, it was a wild guess but based on what has happened these past two days I sort of had a hunch on what might have been worrying you" she giggled.

"I guess I'm not a very good actor then" giving a short laugh. Robin thought about what she just said and agreed that she was right. He was given this role for a specific reason and should be grateful for all the wonderful things that have happened since he joined.

"Thanks Lissa, those words brought me some comfort and helped me realize that you guys do care about me even if I just joined the Shepherds." He chuckled. "You know, for a girl your age, you do have a way with words."

Lissa smirked "WWWELLL, I am the sister of the Exalt aren't I? Maybe some of her wisdom rubbed off on me. Don't underestimate my age too, I'm sort of close to your age as well mister."

Robin nodded at her and smiled back.

There was a brief silence. The chirps of crickets became more noticeable.

"Well now that that's outta the way, let me just tell you that if you want somebody to talk to then you can always come to me to listen, come on let's shake on it." Extending her arm out.

"Deal."

He reached his arm out and was about to grab her hand until he felt a cold and slimy sensation on the palm of his hand, his spine shivered and immediately pulled his hand back.

"UUGGHH" he yelled. He looked at his hand and noticed a clear goo type of ooze in his hand.

He smeared the slime on his cloak and checked his hand for any residue left. Disgusted he yelled. "WHAT WAS THAT?"

"Ribbit"

Robin's eyes darted downward and noticed a lime-green frog.

"Eww" squinting his eyes feeling a little distressed.

He looked at Lissa who was laughing her butt off after seeing his reaction. His heart racing and adrenaline accelerated his blood flow.

"OH MY GODS THAT WAS HILARIOUS! I think I'm gonna die of laughter." Lissa dropped to her knees and held her stomach followed immediately by a snort.

Robin grimaced but looked back at the frog. His heart rate quickly returned to normal, and he soon thought up a diabolical idea.

Placing his hand on his chin, "Maybe I should blow this frog to bits with my thunder tome and have myself some frog legs. I heard they're awfully tasty."

"HEY!" she frowned. She waved a finger up and down, "Leave my pet frog alone."

"Your pet frog?" he said raising an eyebrow.

She stood up, walked towards her frog and grabbed it. "Yeah, I found him today under the bridge after we battled those risen and well there he was on the stream so I grabbed him."

"Did you give it a name?"

"No, not yet, but I'll eventually think of one, I can't even tell if it's a boy or a girl," Looking at her frog and petting it.

"Anyways, I think my work here is done," smiling at Robin.

"You're not worried and all sad faced anymore," placing her frog in her pocket.

"Gee thanks Lissa but please, no more pranks or else you'll give me a heart attack one of these days."

"Can't make any promises. That rubbery face you just made is so darn adorable and funny," she said with a mischievous grin.

_I make a rubbery face?_ Robin sighed. "Well I think it's time we head back to camp for dinner before anyone notices we're both missing. Can't have Chrom and the rest getting the wrong idea right?" chuckling a bit.

Lissa blushed turning beet red "Ye- Yeah hehe, I think he would get the wrong idea."

_Good she didn't freak out_. Robin bowed and pointed her the way to camp.

"After you Milady."

Lissa curtsied "Why thank you Robin."

She began frolicking back with Robin in tow.

For a brief moment, Robin turned his head back towards the sunset for one last look until it went passed the horizon. He smiled and made his way back to camp.

Luckily none of the shepherds had noticed they were both missing. Almost everyone gathered at the fireplace with their stomachs growling for nourishment. Stahl was at the brink of going berserk if he didn't eat anything soon. Everyone was impatient as their noses were tortured as they picked up the delectable smell of haricot mutton. The tactician took a bowl from the table near the stew and waited for Frederick to begin serving.

"COME ON FREDERICK TEACH IS STARVING HERE"! Vaike began a tantrum as the knight ignored his plead. Frederick gave a menacing stare at the bare chested warrior.

"Vaike, you must have patience until milord gets here or else if you don't then I'll happily serve your dish last. Now please take a seat and be quiet," he said, giving a cheery smile.

Vaike crossed his arms and turned away from the knight, "Fine."

The young cerulean prince ran towards the dining table. "Sorry I'm late Shepherds, I was just organizing my tent. Now how bout we all eat."

"HAHA YES FINALLY!" One by one each of the shepherds rose from their seats and headed to Frederick. Once everyone was seated, they all started digging in. Everyone discussed about the previous battle and what they plan to do when they arrive to Regna Ferox. After a good while, the prince rose up, waving his hand. "Everyone, I want to give a big thank you to our newest ally and tactician, Robin. I know that within time, he can help us achieve peace and can help this army overcome many challenges. Please give a big applause to Robin." The shepherds gave turned to the tactician clapping in unison. Robin also stood up and bowed to the group.

"Thank you everyone. I promise to everyone that I will do my best."

**A/N I just wanna say thank you for reading one of many chapters I am going to post. I ain't a professional writer but after reading so many FE fanfics, I was inspired to start my own. Reviews will be greatly appreciated because this will help me improve greatly. Lastly I want to give a special thanks to the following authors: gokart48, GhostPanda1314, Elyvern, and Vanayzan for inspiring me to start my own. I highly recommend you check out their stories. I also would like to get a big thanks to Kyle, Robert, and Frank for helping me edit this chapter. I couldn't have done it without you guys. Feel free to message me if you would like to also help me edit future chapters. I hope you will all join me in this new adventure because I have some pretty good ideas in store. **


	2. Showdown at the Border

**Chapter 2: Showdown in the Border**

Morning immediately arose as the shepherds made their way towards the border between Ylisse and Regna Ferox. They have marched for a couple of hours and only Robin seems to be having trouble catching his breath with the cold air not making it any better.

"Uh-hu Uh-hu Uh-hu."

He took a moment to catch his breath placing his hands on his hips bending forward. There was a voice in the back.

"Robin. You feeling alright?"

He stood up straight.

"Umm Yes, Chrom I'm fine," Still taking heavy breaths.

"Should I give you a piggy back ride?" Stopping in front of Robin.

Robin felt a little uncomfortable. "I don't think that is necessary."

Chrom gave a faint laugh. "Maybe once this whole thing is done, you should train with Frederick so he can whip you up into shape."

Just the thought made Robin worry for all he is going to be doing. Waking up early before the sun and everyone else, starting with one hundred push-ups and ten laps around the castle immediately after. Who knows what he has in store. Frederick doesn't joke around when it comes to physical fitness. The day before the shepherds dispatched for the journey, he was able to observe his training methods with the recruits down at the training area in the castle. At a quick glance, everyone looked as if they were about to collapse except for Frederick who seemed to be enjoying himself.

"Uuhh I'll think about that." Beginning to walk again. Robin gave a small look of concern. "I hope Sumia is doing alright. I'm not sure leaving her all alone with the Pegasus was a good idea. Plus, who knows if there are risen prowling around in there."

"She'll be fine Robin. She's probably on her way here by now. Her way with the animals did calm down that Pegasus and she probably bandaged it up and left her there. Uummm but anyways don't worry my friend, we're nearing the border. Look over there."

His finger pointed to the garrison that was at least a mile away. Standing at probably twenty or thirty feet in height. At the roofs of the fort were archers stationed to protect the fort from enemy forces. In the center was a steel gate that looked immovable. Even with all the strength of the Shepherds, they couldn't possibly topple it. Several soldiers exited out of the gate and lined up taking a battle stance. Chrom stopped and raised his fist for attention "Shepherds Halt." Everyone stopped and turned their eyes towards the prince. He looked at what the guards were doing and they seem pretty threatening.

"Something doesn't look right. Robin!"

"Yes Chrom?"

"I need you to formulate a plan. I have a feeling we are gonna get an unpleasant welcome."

The knight in blue approached the prince "Should I go and talk to them Milord?" Frederick asked.

"No, its best to stay together, just look at their units. They look as if they are ready for battle.

"Very well." Bowing and awaiting further orders.

"Think you can come up with something Robin?"

Robin gave a confident nod.

"I knew bringing you along was a great idea." Giving the determined tactician a friendly smile.

The kind gesture greatly boosted his self-esteem.

Robin immediately looked at the enemies in front of them. A total of twelve pikeman lined up in pincer formation, probably to surround them if they get close. A full scale charge with their cavaliers could give enough intimidation to break their formation but there are more than a dozen archers positioned on the roof so they have to find a way to distract them while they make their frontal assault. He then looked at the surroundings, looking for any place to hide their long range units. To his right were some trees! They could be excellent cover for hiding Virion and Miriel for a type of diversion or surprise attack and it isn't that far from the fort so for sure they have range.

"It's very likely that they shut the gate as soon as they dispatched all their men so one must probably have the key but if they don't have it then there is no way we can advance."

_If only we were able to use that Pegasus we found in the fields it would have been a good emergency backup plan then we could have flown each unit one by one to the roof after we picked off the archers_. "It's best to have our mounted units charge first to break their ranks in half and have our two groups attack each of them. Kellam and I can watch the back and…."

A flabbergasted voice interrupted the tactician "Wait wait wait. You can see me?"

Robin turned around to find out where it came from. He tried not to make it noticeable when he struggled to find him again. "Uumm Yeah hehe actually, I just noticed you right now when I was looking at our surroundings. There was a big hunk of metal blocking my vision and well it happened to be you." Rubbing the back of his head.

"Oh, well at least you included me." Smiling.

"Anyways, Kellam and I will watch the back to watch for enemies trying to flank us. I highly suggest you pair up with someone as fighting in pairs can benefit each other offensively and defensively. As for our escape plan, we can have our mounted units pair with a slower unit and take them to safety. The risk could be that as they take someone one by one then our defenses would slowly diminish but its best if we huddle up and protect our backs and have Virion and Miriel give cover fire. I don't know how the inside of the fort is like but if we can get in then we have a chance of pulling this off."

"It's the best shot we got and we'll trust you." The young prince looked at every one of the shepherds. "You heard the man get in your positions."

The mounted units moved forward with Frederick in the lead. Virion and Miriel made their ways to the trees. "Don't worry milady, I will protect you with my life and I won't dare let anyone lay a scratch or mark on your beautiful face. For a beauty such as yours should only wage war on love." Said Virion.

"Thank you for the offer but I suggest you stop gazing at me and pay more attention to our possible adversaries." said Miriel fixing her glasses.

"Oh I'm not offering at all my sweet. I will for I am Virion the archest of…."

Miriel walked faster, attempting to avoid the man.

"Wuh-WAIT! Please at least keep me company." he yelled in distress. The duo reached their destination and waited for the signal.

Robin glanced to see if everyone is in position. "Alright, everyone is in position. Chrom let's go now."

Chrom unsheathed his mystical sword Falchion pointing it towards the fort. "Onwards Shepherds."

The group marched forward in their positions hoping that thing wouldn't turn sour. The crunching of snow can be heard in every direction and the song of birds soaring by the trees.

"Hey Chrom, check this out." A voice called out.

Chrom turned around looking at Vaike and watching him exhaling a puff breath. "HAHA, cool isn't it." Giving a fake smile.

As much as Chrom wanted to do the same thing he did, he needed to focus.

"Now's not the time for games Vaike."

"Aww Come on, there is always time to fool with teach. Don't be Mr. Serious all the time."

Chrom let a short sigh. "Vaike? Can't we do this some other time? Like after we cross the border cause by the look of things, it doesn't seem like now is the right time."

Vaike scowled crossing his arms. "Fine then."

The shepherds were now a couple yards away from the gate. The soldiers moved closer to confront them. Robin raised his hand to quickly get the attention of the other shepherds. "Alright everyone, stay vigilant and let me know if you spot enemies trying to flank us."

The shepherds nodded and turned their attention to one of the soldiers walking towards them as the rest waited. The soldier was a pike man approximately the same height as Chrom but less physically built. He wore a white uniform with silver armor covering his shoulder blades and chest with a white scarf covering the bottom half of his face. Chrom did the same thing and stopped as soon as ordered him.

"HALT, not a step closer. Identify yourselves and state your business." He muffled.

Standing proud and tall, the prince placed his hand on his chest. "I am Prince Chrom of Ylisse, and these are my shepherds. I have come to seek an audience with your leader. We require your assistance and would like to speak to him immediately so please, we mean you good people no harm and would like to get by peacefully.

The pikeman flailed an arm. "BAH, we have heard this hundreds of times. Shoo along and go home you imposters or we will have to use extreme force on you all."

Chrom was baffled. "Imposters?" Never before has someone called him an imposter. "What is the meaning of this, answer me!" angrily waving an arm across to his side.

"For the past couple months, we've seen groups coming claiming they were the Exalted prince but in the end we've had reports stating that they have been swindling our countrymen and hiding away never to be seen again. We have received orders to stop and send them back, detain them, or execute on sight." Slamming the end of his spear, "I am feeling mighty generous today and am asking you lot to head back from whence you came and never come back or else you will find the tip of my speak piercing through your unbeating heart."

Chrom grew furious at the response. Robin knew it was only a matter of time until all hell broke loose. Tensions were growing high and if Chrom can't persuade them, then things would not end well. "I will forget you said that last part. I am telling you the truth that I am the prince of Ylisse. Just look at the brand I have on my shoulder. This is all the proof you need to validate my claim."

The pikeman observed the brand for a brief moment but pointed his spear at the prince by the look of his face, he wasn't convinced. The princeling took a few steps back with a hand on the hilt of his sword.

"A good majority have said the same thing and forged their own brand but on different parts. This is however the best fake brand I've seen though but I can't believe a word you say. Even if it is true, I still cannot let you pass. This is your last warning."

The Cerulean haired prince turned his head left and right. Swinging his arm in disagreement.

"I REFUSE."

The pike man turned around. "COMMANDER!"

The shepherds all stared at the garrison patiently waiting but feeling nervous of what the coming events might unfold. A woman in green armor has emerged with a shield on one hand and a spear on the other. Several of the shepherds were surprised to see a woman in charge of all these men. The knight glared down at the field and stood there standing. Chrom, Robin, and Frederick remained unfazed. Chrom calmed down and took a few steps forward to communicate with their commander.

"Pl-Please. Let us-"

"I have heard enough already you insignificant brat. My guard has warned you and now you must face the consequences. "The woman turned her look back waving something to come. "ARCHERS FIRE ON MY COMMAND"!

Chrom immediately realized what she was doing and gave a quick glance at Robin. The tactician immediately reacted and signaled Virion and Miriel to fire. Without warning, a stream of fire flew from out of the trees capturing the attention of the archers diverting their eyes towards the forest. A hail of arrows flew to the vegetation but both of the shepherds were protected by the thick bark of the trees. One archer though had kept his eye on Chrom. Just before releasing his grip a shadow hovered over him. A faint voice could be heard in the sky.

"Chrom!"

Both Chrom and the archer looked at the sky a glimpse of sunlight penetrated the gray atmosphere blinding both of them. Chrom rubbed his eyes and looked back up finally figuring out the familiar voice and saw a pair of white wings. It was a Pegasus with Sumia mounted by Sumia.

"Sumia!" He was amazed to see that the Pegasus was helping her but was also glad to see her too. Sumia then commanded her new companion to dive down towards Chrom and reached her arm to her side.

"Milord! Grab my hand!" In a matter of seconds, the prince was swept off his feet and was sitting behind Sumia. Chrom felt a little embarrassed too because usually in these situations, the roles are reversed and he blushed a little before focusing on the task at hand.

"Don't worry captain. We'll be with the shepherds soon." An idea soon came to Chrom's mind and moved his head in disagreement.

"No, I want you to fly us to the top of the fort and hover above the woman in green armor."

Sumia looked back at Chrom in utter shock.

"WHAT? Captain have you gone insane?"

"Trust me on this. I have a plan."

She hesitated but obeyed his command. _I really hope he knows what he is doing, _she thought.

Meanwhile, the other shepherds began running to the gate. Robin noticed Sumia and Chrom heading towards the fort. _What's going on, why aren't they turning back? _Robin put a hand by his mouth to amplify his voice.

"CHROM! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WHAT ABOUT THE PLAN?"

Chrom ignored Robin and they immediately reached their destination. The archers were busy still firing at the forest but the captain of the fort did noticed the two hovering above her. "Sumia stay close to me. I'll protect you just keep calm." He stared at the woman. "I challenge you to a dual. If I win then you will let us pass. Just us and no one else. Let's avoid a bloody battle".

"And what if I win?"

He paused for a brief moment and gave a long stare at the woman. "Then my life is yours.

Sumia's eyes opened wide. "WHAT!? Chrom please think this over."

He turned his head around to the worried girl.

"Enough Sumia, I've made up my mind."

The woman grunted. "Either you're brave or you're really stupid boy."

The pressure built up inside him but he kept his composure. He unsheathed his mystical sword Falchion, and readied himself; applying grip to the hilt of his sword due to his sweaty palms. He looked down towards the Shepherds who looked as if they were ready to attack.

"Shepherds! Stop the attack. This battle is just between her and me."

Robin flailed his arms out. "Chrom don't do this. We're all here…"

"Enough Robin, I don't have time to argue. I will get to Regna Ferox. Even if it costs me my life."

Robin wanted to say more but hesitated knowing that at this point there is no way to reason with him. Frederick approached Robin confidently. "We must believe in Milord, Robin. Chrom is a strong opponent and is very skilled with the sword so don't underestimate him and believe."

Robin's eyes darted back to Chrom and gritted his teeth. "C'mon Chrom you can do this."

Back up top Chrom bowed to the armored warrior.

"Forgive my manners, I have challenged you to a dual and yet I still don't know the name of my opponent." He looked up at her. She slammed the end of her spear to the soft snow.

"I am Raimi, knight of Regna Ferox, leader of Longfort and of this platoon. Don't expect any mercy from me."

All went silent except the sound of chilling winds. The snow had no effect on both fighters as they focused on only what was in front of them. Every breath let out a puff of white. Without warning the blue haired prince dashed straight towards his foe. Sword held tight, he swung it aiming towards her chest. With one quick flick of her wrist, her spear deflected the blow and was left unfazed. She immediately started a barrage of jabs but her attacks were somewhat easy for Chrom to dodge. He took a few steps back. He wanted to see what this woman was capable of. She is skilled, the attack he did would usually leave his opponents trembling and make it feel unavoidable during training. He compared her to Frederick, tough, dedicated, skilled but much slower than he.

"Hmph, examining my moves I see. Don't underestimate me just because I'm a woman. There is a reason why I've been named leader of this fort and platoon."

Chrom gave a glared but remained calm.

"Never crossed my mind. GGYAHH"!

In the blink of an eye he stood standing in front of her, swiftly swinging his blade to the side of her stomach. She flicked her wrist again deflecting the blow but its changed course now sent it to her cheek leave a short scar. She placed the tip of her fingers to her cheek and looked at her bloody armored hand stained with her own blood. She thrusted her shield moving Chrom back but didn't give him time to recover. She smacked his forehead with her shield leaving Chrom disoriented and tripped to the frigid floor. Sumia gasped in horror as he saw the man who was in her heart lying on the floor.

"Chrom please get up!"

Meanwhile down by the gate the shepherds stood impatiently in defensive position. Robin stood in the back with Kellam worried about Chrom. _Gods, please protect him. _He heard Sumia call out in horror for Chrom to get up. This made him even more distressed. He had to think of something but he couldn't come up with an elaborate scheme to help them advance. All he could do was pray for his safety.

The prince quickly regained most of his senses and was able to see Raimi about to slam her spear to his chest. He rolled away nearly dodging the blow. He got back up on his feet still feeling dazed, he shook his head hoping it could clear it up. He felt a bump on his head.

"Now I'm angry." At that moment Falchion began to glitter and resonate a bright green aura. Chrom had regained some of his strength back.

"W-what is this power. Whatever it is, I gotta make use of it."

Recklessly, he charged again towards Raimi unleashing numerous jabs and slashes but one by one they either were blocked or utterly missed. He went full swing and the two were in a deadlock. Both sides were unable to make any progress and counteract each other. Both grunted desperately, trying to gain the upperhand. However, both heard a crack on one of the weapons. Raimi's spear couldn't contain the amount of pressure pressed on to it. Upon noticing, her spear split into two with her body heading towards the tip of his blade. Falchion easy piercing through her tough armor and digging into the side of her stomach the sword absorbed what was her energy and transferred it to the Cerulean prince covering him in a green aura. She collapsed with one knee on the ground. Chrom swiftly pulled her sword out and she screamed in pain. Her pupils uncontrollably moving around. She breathed heavily but miraculously still regained consciousness. The archers were stunned. In their own eyes, they saw their commander down struggling to stay up.

"Foolish boy….. you….. have bested me. Give the final blow… you have won."

Chrom stared down at Raimi. He slowly approached her raising Falchion with one hand. She lowered her head in defeat. In one swift motion he pulled his sword down.

"PING"

The world became silent for a few seconds, she had her eyes closed but realized she was still breathing. She slowly opened her eyes seeing the tip of his sword on the floor inches away from her face. Her head lifted up, making eye contact with the prince, unable to figure out what he had done.

"Aren't you gonna finish me off?" gasping for breath.

Chrom gave her a warm smile. She was confused.

"I didn't come here to kill anyone. I just want to talk to your leader, not kill his people. Now would you please let us through?"

She was in disbelief.

"Y-you, you really are the exalted prince aren't you."

Chrom walked to her side wrapping her around on the back of his head. He slowly lifted her up.

"I-I'm so so sorry for everything. I should have listened more but please understand that this problem has been going on for the past couple of months."

He nodded.

"I understand and I'm sorry for not noticing the bandit problem in our northern borders. I shall notify Phila and have these crooks apprehended. But for now, let's get outta the cold and get you healed up. Please open the gates so we can aid you."

She then looked at the gatekeeper and nodded. He ran to the lower level and pulled the lever lifting the gate up. The Shepherds cheered in joy as they knew that there wouldn't be any casualties. Sumia flew down to meet the shepherds. Robin ran towards Sumia worried.

"Where is Chrom? Is he alright."

"Chrom is fine, he battled the platoon leader and prevailed. He was able to convince her we're the real deal and we mean them no harm."

He gave a sigh of relief. "Oh thank the gods. Well, you guys go ahead. I'll go and give Miriel and Virion the good news."

He dashed towards the area where he pointed them to be. The snow slowed his movement as he walked. Robin was in a good mood now since there wasn't going to be any bloodshed today.

"Uummm guys, you can come out now the battle is won."

Both emerged from their hiding spots.

"Oh how marvelous, I Virion, lives to fight another day. Very good news indeed."

"I'm just glad I don't have to have to be someone's target anymore." As she walked to the fort.

"It's thanks to Chrom that things didn't go chaotic." Robin replied.

Both seemed to have forgotten that Robin was with them and strolled ahead leaving him behind. He again began to recollect the sudden events. He was too slow to come up with a plan to save Chrom if things didn't go right. He grew frustrated but calmed down. _Easy Robin, you just have to study and think calmer._

"SNAP"

Robin turned his attention towards the sound. He saw a sliver of blue retreat back towards the bushes. He became cautious, slowly walking towards the direction where the sound came from.

"Hello? Chrom? Was that you?"

He walked through the thick vegetation. His cloak capturing bits of snow also acting as a shield. Through the other side he saw nothing just trees and snow as far as the eye can see. His eyes immediately looked at an imprint in the snow. Upon, closer inspection the reveal to be footprints. He thought of who it could have been but his mind came out blank.

"HELLO?" There was no response. Only the sound of his breath and a small gust of wind rustling the leaves. He was left wondering on the strange and mysterious encounter.

"What was that spying on us? I was able to see the shape of the blue figure. It looked kinda familiar. Sort of looked like a ….. butterfly."

The weather picked up and flakes of white dropped more furiously. Robin headed back towards Longfort, puzzled about the event that recently occurred.

"Whew, that was close. I got too careless. I must move on ahead. I have to get there before they do. We must keep on this path to avoid certain destruction. Naga, give me strength."

**A/N: 161 views. Thank you very much guys, I really appreciate it. So far so good for the next few chapters. Already written the next two chapters but editing will take a while. I've kinda slowed down recently due to school work but I make sure to make time whenever I can. So again, thank you for reading. Reviews are greatly appreciated.**


	3. Regna Ferox

**Chapter 3: Regna Ferox**

The princeling followed by his sister, body guard and tactician walked through the corridors of castle that lead to the throne room. Escorted by the knight in green Raimi, they pleasantly looked both sides of the hall that had pedestals with weapons and armor carefully placed at the base. Some even looked like they haven't been used in decades. Robin walked as he remembered Chrom's reckless behavior at the fort. _Why Chrom? Why? Why are you so reckless? _The events repeated over and over in his head until he became frustrated. He quickly shook his head to clear his mind and calmed down before they reached the door that lead to the throne room. Their escort stopped and they immediately did the same. The woman turned to face the prince.

"Please wait here while I notify the khan of your arrival." She bowed.

The prince nodded and she walked through the door. Once she went through the door Chrom looked at the group. "Well guys, we made it," he said while smiling at the three.

"I'm glad none of the shepherds got hurt and thanks to your reckless, you got a slight bump on your forehead," Robin smirked. Chrom placed two fingers on the lump. "Ha ha, well it's the price I must pay" he laughed. "Don't worry, I think Lissa will be able to make this bump disappear in a snap," he said while looking at his cheery sister. "I got you big brother," she said with a fake smile. Out of nowhere, she accidently whacks Chrom's shoulder with her staff. "YOWCH" he yelled.

Immediately Frederick ran to his side. "Milord! Are you alright?! Should I take you to an infirmary?" He grabbed Chrom and was about to make a dash for the exit until Chrom started to wiggle himself free from his strong grasp.

"Frederick, let go of me!"

"Are you sure Milord? I will gladly get you a doctor,"

"No Frederick, I'm totally fine. It was just a minor hit." The young princess scratched the back of her head.

"Whoops, sorry," she said. Chrom chuckled. " It's alright," Robin gave the prince a look of concern.

"Chrom….. Please don't do anything reckless like that again. Your life is important to us and without our leader…. Well things would fall apart,"

Chrom's smile disappeared. There was an uneasy feeling amidst. They exchanged glares at each other. Robin had an uneasy chill in his spine. He braced himself for hefty lecture.

"Robin I…" The door abruptly ended the conversation as Raimi poked her head through the door.

"The Khan will see you now." She said.

One by one, the group entered the main hall. Curiosity and awe filled their minds as the glanced at every little piece of detail they eyes can see. A long beautiful well detailed carpet extended from the door to the small stairs that lead to the throne. Pillars on each side well-crafted and designed. Mosaic windows that tell of historic battles and heroic figures. In the hall stood a woman, with armor colored a deep crimson. Her sandy blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail as to not get in the way. She stood there at first, wearing a face with no emotion. Then, she broke out into a smirk. She wore her battle attire which confused the shepherds. Chrom stopped a few feet away from her and bowed.

"It is an honor to finally meet you your grace." He said standing tall.

"The honor is all mine young prince. To what do I owe the honor to have you in my humble abode?"

"Well you see, for the past couple of months. There have been high tensions with our neighboring country Plegia. The Mad King Gangrel, threatens the peace between our two nations and have brought to the brink of war. If war was to occur, we would be heavily outnumbered and beaten. I came here to ask you for your help and if you would like to create an alliance with us if war does occur."

She tilted her head down eyes closed, but stood tall and firm. Not a word came out of her mouth for a few seconds.

She looked at Chrom with a smirk. "I will gladly accept your plea."

Chrom and the shepherds smiled.

"However, I do not have the power to do that."

Their smiles faded.

Chrom gave her a confused look. "Why not? You're a Khan."

She placed her hand on her forehead. "I am a Khan but at the moment, I don't have complete control of Regna Ferox. The one who does have the power is the West Khan, Basilio."

"Well can't you go talk to him to help us?"

She paused for a moment and thought over it. The shepherds stared silently.

"Or," she said cunningly. "You can help me get control so I can give you those troops."

Chrom tilted his head, confused on what she was thinking.

"You see, every couple of years, the East and West Khans would have a fighting tournament for control of the Regna Ferox. We would send our strongest fighters to represent us and whichever side prevails controls both the East and West. You see, we are a militant nation. Power is given through strength not politics. Actions speak louder than words. Anyways, for this tournament we choose fighters from foreign nations and not fighters from family blood. This helps avoid feuds. You and your shepherds fit the picture. If you represent me and win then I will aid you. And don't worry this is not a fight to the death, all you really need to worry about is not getting badly hurt or get something broken." She chuckled. "Please think about this. Feel free to take all day to come up with an answer if you must."

Chrom ordered the group to huddle up to discuss the matter.

"So what are your thoughts?" He said.

Lissa cheerfully said "I say go for it." Frederick hesitated a bit but agreed with plan. "I will fight for Ylisse's honor." Robin gave a look of disapproval. "I believe this is a bad idea. If we go along with this plan then someone will get seriously hurt."

"Well I beg differ." Chrom rebuttaled "I do agree that this is going to be dangerous but I know we hold an advantage because we have something that they don't.

The group looked puzzled.

"Can't you see?" he said. It's simple, he is standing among us." The young prince looked at Robin from the corner of his eye. Robin knew exactly what he meant. Just the thought made him feel uneasy.

"We have a tactician. With him here, we will for sure have this battle won. The west has most likely have chosen sell swords while as for us, we are an army that trusts one another." He said proudly.

"Well you guys do but I don't. I haven't had the chance to talk to any of the other shepherds. I guess I'm just having a hard time trying to get to know the others that I think they don't trust me." Said the shy tactician.

The prince walked up in front of Robin placing his hand on his shoulder. "It's ok my friend, you're fairly new to the group but I know you will immediately get along with the others. In situations like these, we must fully have faith with one another. I know we can all get through this."

Those words gave the concerned tactician confidence and a new understanding on why Chrom is the type of person he is. It's not that he is reckless but instead, he is someone who will do whatever it takes to make sure that all of his friends make it in the end.

"Alright then Chrom, I'm all in then. I will give it my all."

Chrom smiled and nodded to everyone. "Well then, I guess we all know what we are getting ourselves into then. Robin, we need to figure out who is going to be in the tournament and figure out a way to utilize them in battle."

Robin gave a cheerful nod.

Chrom turned to Flavia, who patiently waited for a response. "The Shepherds and I will gladly represent the East.

She smiled at the young prince. "Glad to have such brave fighters like you representing me. It's an honor." She said bowing her head down. "I must warn you though. I've heard rumors that the West Khan has a new champion. This new champ beat the former one in fifteen seconds flat so stay on your toes and be careful out there. Also, I forgot to mention that you can only have six fighters on the field while the west will have eight so I recommend you choose your best."

Robin quickly knew that this was going to be a little bit of a challenge. Not only were they outnumbered but there is also one fighter in particular who could be incredibly skilled and strong. He needs to come up with a good strategy that can help them win and come out unscathed.

"I'll let you go from here now to prepare. The tournament is tomorrow so come to me with the other five so I can lead you to the arena. Feel free to also explore our kingdom, your troops will also be given permission to use our training grounds if they want.

"I understand your grace. Thank you very much, we won't fail you."

"Haha, please Chrom, I ain't one for formalities. Enjoy your stay here and come back first thing in the morning with your troops all ready to go."

Chrom nodded and proceeded towards the exit with his friends right behind. So much has to be done with what seems to be so little time. The though made Robin feel uneasy in his stomach but he knew full well that Chrom will be there to back him up every step of the way.

Outside of the castle Chrom called his little sister to head over to head over to the inn to gather all the Shepherds together and give details about the meeting. As his tomboyish sister left through the gates, Chrom turned to Robin and Frederick. "Frederick, Robin. We must discuss on who will be a good choice to use in the fight. For sure, I want the three of us to be involved in the tournament. We just have to come up with the other three."

"Might I suggest one in particular milord." Said the blue knight. "I believe it would be a good idea if we bring Sully. She has proven herself well in the battlefield recently"

"I'll take your word for it my friend. Robin are you ok with this?"

"Of course." The tactician replied.

"Very well, then I have a person in mind too. I say we let Vaike in too. He can be a bit childish and undisciplined at times but he is an excellent fighter after sparring with him a countless number of times. Frederick and I will remind him not to forget his weapon as well."

"Let me stop you right there Chrom, I also have a person I want to suggest. We need another magic user and who is the only one besides me that can wield magic tomes?" Robin exclaimed.

"Miriel" Said both Chrom and Frederick

"Exactly, we'll make her remind him." He said snapping his fingers.

"Well then, this seemed to be a rather quick meeting. If any of us changes their mind then let me know." Said the one prince.

Both Frederick and Robin nodded in agreement.

For now let's head back and let everyone know who will fight tomorrow. In the meantime, Robin when we get back to the inn. I want you to come up with a plan for tomorrow. We're going to show the whole crowd know about us and your incredible prowess."

Robin became a little nervous and uncomfortable with that remark but knew he said it with good intention. The band of three made their way back towards the inn.

**At the Inn**

"Alright everyone settle down and listen up" The young prince interruptedly said. In an instant the chattering halted and all eyes darted to the entrance where the prince and his subordinates stood. He regally walked towards the center of the room. "Alright, now that I have everyone's undivided attention. I just wanna start off by saying that you guys did a fine job getting us here. I couldn't have gotten here without everyone's help. But now." His face grew serious. "I think by now my little sister has briefed every one of you guys about what is going on. But just in case for those who didn't hear then pay attention. A chosen few of us will represent the East Khan in a tournament. If we win, then the new khan will join our cause if things go out of control between us and Plegia. This battle will not be a fight to the death so rest assured that you will not lose your life but you can still get seriously hurt. The three of us have decided who will be in the fight but if you're uncomfortable participating then please let us know. I don't want to force you into something you don't feel comfortable in."

The crowd chuckled wondering if he was kidding or not.

"For sure, the three of us Frederick, Robin, and myself will be in the tournament. When I call your name, may you please give me your answer?"

The roomed filled with small whispers. Everyone eager to hear who the people are.

"The first one I call is…. Vaike."

"Aaww YEAH, Class is in session everyone." Jumping ecstatically. He jumped uncontrollably that he bumped into a table and collapsed to the ground. The shepherds laughed at his goofiness.

"Haha whoops." Eagerly getting back up to his feet.

"Ok then, next person up is Sully."

"Just point me where to go and I'll turn them into mincemeat."

"Robin will keep note of that. And last but not least, Miriel."

"I hope my abilities will him us attain victory." She said adjusting her glasses.

The prince looked at the chosen three. "I thank you for your bravery and promise you that we will win this unharmed. Now that the three have been decided. I'm letting you guys have the rest of the day to yourselves. I've received permission from Flavia to use their training grounds if you wish to do so. Other than that just be back in time before supper understood?"

The crowded all replied," Yes sir."

"Very well, everyone please enjoy yourselves and see you all at dinner."

Immediately the first person running out the door was Chrom's energetic sister. Robin could hear her yelling outside at the top of her lungs. "SHOPPING! SHOPPING! SHopping! shopping!" Eventually, her voice disappeared into the town. One by one, the rest of the shepherds exited out the door. Each and every one of them eager to explore the Kingdom.

Sully and Vaike decided to head to the training ground to practice for tomorrow.

"Hey Sully! How about you and I have a little sparring match so that way I can teach you who is top dog?"

"HA you think you can beat me? I'll have your arse handed to you in a matter of seconds. You're not even worth the energy."

"SAY WHAT!?" he said furiously. The two argued away from the inn till they were out of sight.

Stahl seemed awfully excited to go around and see the type of cuisine the town had to offer. It was easy for Robin to notice his mouth salivating and his tongue sticking out like a wild animal. Robin decided to stay at the inn and eat his bowl of porridge. The cerulean prince approached the tactician.

"Robin, feel free to go and explore also. You've done a hell of a lot for us and I think I can say for everyone that you deserve a break the most."

Robin gulped his food and replied, "I thank you for the offer but for now. I must come up with a plan that can secure us the victory tomorrow."

"Well alright then Robin, just don't overwork yourself. Can't have you sleeping on us in the middle of battle." He chuckled.

"I will make sure I don't." he smiled.

"If you need me. I'll be at the training grounds or look for Frederick he is with Lissa."

The tactician nodded after having another spoonful of porridge. The prince walked out the door leaving Robin all alone in the room. There was nothing but silence. Robin finished the last of his breakfast, closed his eyes and gave a sigh of relief. "Aahh peace and quiet." After a few seconds he stood up. "Alright! Time to strategize."

A couple of hours flew by as the tactician struggled to come up with something clever. There in his room, he sat at his desk. Quill in hand and eyes staring directly at a blank piece of paper. He knew full well that this wasn't going to be an easy task. He has a decent formation but without knowledge of who they are fighting then he can't come up with something on dealing with them. X's and O's popped in his mind but he couldn't simulate the battle without know their opponents. He remained motionless with his head down and eyes closed. "I think I need a break" he said. Just then, there was a knock on his door.

"Come in."

The door slightly opened with a brown haired girl's head popping in. "Hello Robin". She walked in and without warning tripped and landed on her face. Robin looked down slightly shocked at what just happened. "Umm, hello Sumia. Are you ok?" he fluttered his eyes. She quickly got back on her feet with her hand rubbing her red nose.

"Owie, Yes Robin I'm fine thank you," She surveyed the ground for just a second. "Well the good thing is that nothing is broken hehe."

"So what bring you here Sumia?"

"Well I just came here to get some more money from my travel pack which I accidently left in my room. Clumsy me. I was just curious if you were still here. Turns out I was right.

Robin wearily rubbed the back of his head. "I was just about to go outside and get some fresh air."

"Oh then you should come and join me, there are lots of cute little shops around the kingdom that you might like." She smiled.

Robin nodded at the clumsy girl. "I'll gladly join you. This will help me refresh my mind."

"Yay let's get going then."

The streets were flowing with people. The townsfolk often turned their attention to the tactician. His cloak made him stand out from the crowd. His eyes looked from store to store but nothing caught his eye for very long. After a short while they stumbled upon an armory and decided to check out what they had in stock. Dozens of swords, lances, and axes filled the shelves and stands.

"I probably should get myself a new sword. My current one is starting to wear out."

The local blacksmith approached the tactician.

"Aye there boy, what can I help you with?"

"Oh hello there. I'm just looking around good sir."

"Well, if you see anything you like don't hesitate to ask."

Robin nodded. Suddenly something caught Sumia's eye and pointed towards it.

"OOooo, Robin look at."

"What is it?" He turned his attention to a very peculiar sword. The blade was curvy, like the shape in the shape of a thunderbolt.

"Wait a minute sir! What is that sword?" he said in awe.

The blacksmith glance in its beauty. "Aahh, that my boy is a rare sword that is known as the Levin Sword. It's the only one I have and they aren't easy to get. What makes this sword special from the rest is that this sword deals physical and magical damage to your opponents. It is a very dangerous weapon to handle. One must be really good with magic in order to wield it. In order to obtain one, you must have one imported all the way from Valm which can't be reached on foot. It is a land that can only be reached by boat."

"Now let's say I wanted to buy this sword. How much would it cost?"

"Well, a sword this rare here would go at around 1,600 gold."

Robin's jaw instantly dropped and shuttered, Sumia did the same thing a second later.

"O-one thousand six hundred gold!" both saying it in unison.

"No way in gods name can I afford that."

"Aaww and I thought today was the day where I finally sell this beaut."

"Sorry for raising your hopes up."

"Nah, its fine young lad. Soon that day will come."

The duo left the armory and strolled along the busy streets. Lots of merchandise and accessories were put on display to celebrate for the tournament.

"People are really hyped for tomorrow's event aren't they?"

"Yes they are Sumia. Yes they are."

A few minutes later, they wandered off into a bookstore. Both of them knew that they were bookworms.

"Omigosh Robin, Look!" The tactician turned his gaze to a purple book. On the cover was a dragon with a rider sitting on its back. He squinted his eyes to read the title of the book. _Wyvern Wars; Terror at High Noon _he read. "What about it, Sumia?"

"I've been looking for this book for a long time. I have looked everywhere for this and at last I finally found it." She quickly grabbed the book and went towards the counter. Robin continued strolling along the aisles. _So many books but nothing that catches my interest. _His eyes noticed a red book and went closer. _Hhmm "The Art of War". _He grabbed the book and began skimming the pages. His eyes widen. "This book is amazing, each page gives important advice and tactics when commanding a militia. This will be very useful for many battles to come." He grabbed the book and made a dash towards the counter zooming past Sumia causing her to fall face first again to the ground. "Sorry." He yelled. He slammed the book at the table. "I'll take it!" The clerk smiled "Ten gold please." Robin searched through his pockets in his cloak and pulled out ten gold coins. The woman bowed. "Thank you, you have a wonderful afternoon."

After their little adventure, they decided to take a break and have lunch near a fountain. The two enjoyed their lunch, a loaf of bread and cubes of cheese. Sumia became a little nervous and stared at the water. "Uh-um Robin?" He turned his head towards her. "Yes Sumia?"

Her face blushed as she had difficulty saying the words she wanted to say. "I-I've been meaning to ask you this b-but is there anything that Chrom likes?"

Robin was a little confused. "Do you mean to say if I know who Chrom likes?"

Her face immediately turned tomato red.

"Wait WHAT!? No no no no" she said quickly waving her hands. "I mean what things does Chrom like in general. Like does he read books, what kind of food does he like or what kind of clothes does he wear?"

"Oh, well I think that he really like pie. I've noticed that after dinner, he likes to eat a piece of pie after dinner. Makes me wonder where all those carbs go. Not sure what kind of pie he likes but I assume he likes any kind."

"Really? Thank you Robin you're the best"

"Why'd you ask?"

"Oh for no reason hehe."

Robin grew a little suspicious but decided to let it go. Sumia stood up. "Imma go walk around a little bit more. Do you want to join me still?"

Robin smiled. "No thank you Sumia, I think I'm just gonna stay here for a little while and read."

"Ok Robin, thank you for accompanying me."

"I should thank you. I had a fun time with you."

She closed her eyes, tilted her head, and gave him a warm smile. "Well, I'll see you later."

"Bye."

She disappeared into the crowd. He turned his attention to his new book eager to see the contents that it has to offer. "Chapter 1: Leadership People often believe that leaders are made, not born. Da da da da DAH a leader must do the unexpected and produce startling results. They must be professionals. This overworked term simply means that leaders are guided by a consistent and honorable set of principles." After reading for a good while an idea popped into his head. "That's it! This will work." He immediately got up and ran back to the inn to write it down. _Tomorrow. The world will see what the shepherds can do._

**The Next Day**

"Alright everyone, you know your places right?" said Robin. The shepherds nodded in agreement. The young prince raised his sword in the air.

"Ok Shepherds, let's do this."

The shepherds stepped into the arena. Thousands of people at the stands cheered at the top of their lungs. Once they all stepped in, the iron gates closed shut. Robin and Chrom looked at the stands looking for their companions. They both noticed Lissa jumping and waving her hands up in the air. At that moment, the gates at the other side of the arena opened. Their opponents came running out. Robin counted the number of troops at the field. Four barbarians, two mages and two knights. Robin knew that the odds seemed to be in their favor. The relief was short lived though as Frederick pointed at the entrance. There stood the silhouette of a fighter, the West Khans champion. The mysterious fighter slowly walked closer into the light until all physical features were visible. Robin and Chrom gasped after the identity of this champion was finally revealed. Chrom glared into the face of the champion.

"Nice to see you again, Marth."


	4. Battle Commence!

Marth remained silent as the prince gazed upon him, both sides exchanging glares even though Chrom could not really see Marth's eyes through the mask. The champion of west khan is the same man who rescued his beloved sister on that same night the foul risen first appeared. Deep down, Chrom was speechless and shocked seeing him here and that he is standing in the way of securing a better chance of survival for all of Ylisse. The thought sent shivers down his spine but he had to stay calm for his comrades, he cannot falter. The masked man moved towards the center of the arena. The growing excitement caused the crowd to roar even louder. Chrom never took his sight off him until the gleam from Marth's sword temporarily blinded him. One quick glance immediately caused his heart rate to increase drastically and his eyes to widen as he saw the sword strapped to his waist.

"It can't be." He whispered confused.

Marth began to walk towards the center of the stage. The light from the torches surrounding the arena glistened off Marth's Falchion until he stopped at the outline of the center circle. The young prince began to approach the man. Robin noticed Chrom's actions

"Chrom, come back he-"The prince cut him off before he could even finish his sentence.

"I'll be fine Robin, I need to see this for myself."

Robin ordered everyone to get in their formations. Tension built up, two people at the center of the stage. One confused and with the safety of Ylisse at stake, the other standing silent. The cheering and yelling at the stands died down as they see both the prince of Ylisse and champion of the west Khan unsheathe their swords. Chrom was flabbergasted as Marth pulled out an identical version of his sword, Falchion.

"Where did you get that?" grinding his teeth.

Marth still remained quiet. Robin, studied Marth for a couple seconds, looking at his physique, his outfit, and he raised his hand to gather the attention of the Shepherds. "Everybody, be ready for when Chrom needs our help."

The stage lights now focused in at the center of the arena. Chrom started walking around the outline of the center circle. Marth did the same but made sure they stayed at opposite ends with each other.

"I want to thank you again for saving my sister. I am eternally grateful but just because you saved my sister doesn't mean I will go easy on you. I have too much at stake here."

"You talk too much." replied the masked warrior. In the blink of an eye, Marth dashed at Chrom performing a jab but Chrom parried and deflected the blow and followed up with his own attack. The masked assailant ducked and charged meeting Chrom's blade. The barbarians ran towards the main group. Robin looked at Frederick.

"Frederick, you, Vaike, and Sully take care of those barbarians while Miriel and I distract the mages. The cobalt knight nodded and raised his lance. Sully stayed by his side, sword at the ready. Vaike waved his axe around eager, to battle someone. The barbarians were now several feet away and Frederick signaled them to charge.

"Class is in session" Vaike quickly remarked.

The speed at which their horses ran was intimidating enough to make the barbs stop in their tracks. Frederick lowered his spear aiming towards the abdomen of one of the defenseless men. The force of the impact created an enormous gash. A medical team positioned on the arena tunnels rushed in to check on the downed barbarian. He was declared unable battle.

"Yay Frederick" cried the exhilarated princess. Their comrades chanted praises towards the respectable knight. The crowd was ecstatic as the cheering grew loud again.

The shepherds were able to split the enemy forces and scattered around the arena. Each took on a soldier. Sully was able to wound her target but not enough to knock him out.

"Get down you arse." The barb limpingly retreated back. Robin noticed the barbarian through the corner of his eye. _Can't let him get away_. He was in range for one of his lightning spells. He anticipated his movements and unleashed a bolt of electricity. The blast was enough to knock him to the ground and the barbarian dropped down to the ground twitching until he became motionless. _Two down, seven to go._ Robin glanced back at Chrom still clashing metal with Marth. The look on the prince's face looks as if he is having the time of his life. As if he found his equal. Marth moved with finesse avoiding every jab, every slash and would follow up with an attack similar to Chrom's fighting style. Robin closely inspected their body movement. _It's as if Chrom is fighting against a mirror._ He looked at Marth, focusing on the mask. "That mask." He squinted his eyes to figure out its shape "The mask sort of looks like….. a butterfly. Why does it look familiar?" A realization came upon as soon as he pointed it out. _Could that have been Marth spying on us back when we were at Longfort? _The events from that day replayed again and again in his mind.

_Yes, it must have been him. But…. why would he be spying on us?_

His suspicions grew but now is not the time to think about that. He refocused himself back into the battlefield.

"Miriel! Cover me for a few seconds!" screamed the tactician. It time to set his plan into action. As Miriel distracted the mages, Robin put his thundertome back into his cloak and pulled out a scarlet book

"Miriel, go for one of the mages, I got the other."

"Noted" she nodded. Moving her aim towards one of the mages. Robin then blasted a wave of fire towards the mage a couple of yards in front of them. The mage rebuttaled with his own fire attack. The blasts collided and created a huge wall of a raging inferno. The crowd shielded themselves from the intense heat waves though the fighters kept battling, ignoring the heat. Vaike became covered in a coat of sweat but still firmly held his battle axe. One of the barbarians ran towards Vaike, axe held high. Vaike gave an intimidating glare to the barbarian.

"That's right, come to Vaike." The barb swung his axe but the confident fighter rolled to the side. The axe hit the ground so hard the blade actually stuck between the stone floor blocks. The barbarian struggled trying to pull his axe out.

"Now's my chance." Vaike said. He swung his axe aiming for his opponent's face with the flat of his axe until the barbarian quickly grabbed Vaike's wrist stopping its intended course. The action caught him off guard and was quickly head butted by the determined fighter. Vaike fell to the ground unconscious. Sully noticed the predicament and pulled the reins on her horse. Racing to knock out the barbarian who put him out.

"Gods, damn it Vaike. You got too damn cocky." Sully then charged towards the barbarian quickly arming herself with her lance and stabbed him in his shoulder, knocking him down to the ground.

"Hey knucklehead, wake up!" She yelled while poking his just with the wooden end of her weapon. She jabbed his chest faster. "Wake up dammit!"

Vaike soon awoke fluttering his eyes "Wuh-wuh" He slowly got up.

"Get up you idiot, now is not the time to take a nap."

"Ugh, thanks Sully." Still trying to regain full consciousness.

"Get your head in the game." She scoldingly told him.

"We have to finish this quick" Robin said. He cannot afford any set backs to occur on a critical fight as this.

"Shepherds! Pair up. Frederick, pair with Miriel, Sully you stick with me." Robin gave a quick glare at Chrom. He fought viciously but the other fighter would parry. _Just hang on Chrom_.

The crimson knight stopped by Robin's side.

"Sully can you move forward a little so I can get on? It's time to put our strategy in motion." he grinned. She gave him a confident look as she reached her arm out and pulled Robin up.

"Okay Sully, you know what to do. Miriel, go ride with Frederick. Vaike! Can you still fight?" If you can take out any people outside of the circle." All the members nodded and initiated on their given duties. The cavaliers rode around the enemies as Robin and Miriel blasted another wave creating a ring of fire trapping them. Frederick and Sully, then inched closer slowly shrinking the circle. Six enemies were caught in the elaborate trap. The enemies to push back into each other until they were all touching each other's backs, showing signs of panic and fear. Sweat began trickling through their bodies. Robin checked on Vaike who just disarmed his opponent and delivered a strong left hand to the face. "Ha Ha, no one can stop the Vaike!"

Robin could not believe how well his plan was working, even with the small setback. At that moment, one of the enemy barbarians screamed; "I give up" and threw his weapon out of the circle. The heat was too much for them making it futile for any of them to attack as each of their foe threw away their weapons. The crowd booed at them while the shepherds cheered as their opponents walked towards the barracks in defeat. All that remained now was the masked fighter.

"Shepherds, this battle is just between them." Said Frederick as they all watch their leader struggle to even land a hit on him

The prince swiftly dodged a quick strike from Marth. Both warriors struggled to come up with a way to overcome the other. _We're both to predictable. Our fighting styles are far too similar, who is this man? _He thought gritting his teeth. In order to beat this man. He had to change his approach. Chrom decided to stand his ground and prepared for another swift attack. Marth readied his sword and recklessly rushed at him, tip pointed straight at his upper body. Chrom then crouched to the ground with the identical Falchion barely missing the top of his head. Marth was now open. Chrom elbowed Marth in the stomach, grabbed Marth's collar, and then delivered a powerful punch to face. As Marth was knocked back, Chrom immediately swung his blade, slashing Marth's left leg. Marth yelled in pain but tried to desperately to keep his composure. Marth fell to the floor holding his injured leg while grunting violently. Chrom walked up to the man. The crowd roared with excitement as they chanted," Finish him. Finish him." Robin and the Shepherds knew the battle had been won but Chrom still stared at Marth.

"Who are you?" Chrom said. Marth gritted his teeth and turned remained silent. Before Chrom could say more, he was interrupted by an official with megatome.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I PRESENT TO YOU, THE WINNERS OF THIS TOURNAMENT!" The arena flooded with cheers and jeers. Flavia jumped out her seat laughing at a bald middle aged man, who had his head down in defeat. The shepherds rejoiced as their group came out victorious. Both Kellam and Stahl ran toward Vaike's side who still felt the effect from the blow moments ago and wrapped his arms around their heads. "Did I get 'em all?" Stahl grinned at him and replied, "You were unstoppable."

"Hehe, I knew I could do it." He said before he passed out. The able Shepherds made their way towards the center of the arena where they bowed towards the audience and clapped at the new Khan in power. Flavia walked down the stairs that led to the battlefield and walked towards the young prince.

"Haha I knew you could do it. This must have been mere child's play for you lot."

"It's all thanks to our tactician, Flavia. All the credit mostly goes to him."

"Yes, well how about we get you all fixed up. Then we can discuss more later."

"Very well." He nodded.

"All right then come see me when you're ready to discuss. I will have Basilio join us as well"

"That's fine with me."

Chrom and Flavia both lapped around the arena applauding and bowing towards the audience while the rest of the shepherds made their way towards the barracks. Robin turned his attention towards Marth who was limping towards the exit, his blood continued to drip from the cut on his leg. Robin decided to go and help take him to the infirmary. It was the least he could do to pay him back from when the risen attack for the first time. He quickly walked toward his side.

"Marth, let me help you."

The masked fighter hesitated bluntly, "I'm fine thank you."

"You seem to be on the brink of collapse. With an injury that serious, you're not going to make it far and have a risk of infection if it is not treated immediately, so please let me help you." Marth thought about it before giving a nod towards the tactician.

"Fine"

Robin put an arm around his neck and proceeded to carefully walk through the corridors of the stadium. Wiggling through crowds of people leaving the building. He was awfully light weight and thin, making him wonder how he was able to match Chrom's strength. Curiosity engulfed his mind, wanting to know more about Marth. He thought up a few questions and started a conversation while they walked to the infirmary.

"That was an incredible fight you and Chrom had Marth. If that was me in Chrom's position, I probably would not have lasted two minutes against you. You were able to predict his every move and move with such grandeur. You are an excellent swordsman." He kept a cheerful expression while Marth still showed no emotion. Robin still was not going to give up that easily though, he was determined to figure out who he is or why he is stalking the shepherds.

A couple seconds later.

"You don't have to answer this question but where did you learn how to fight like that. Both you and Chrom fought very similarly when I looked at your match. Did you ever train with him or trained with the same teacher?"

"No, I have learned how to fight from my father." Robin was surprised he answered that question. "He must have been a great fighter." Robin replied. "Indeed he was." Marth responded back. "That sword was it his?" Marth lowered his head and said nothing. He knew he must have crossed the line a bit. "I'm sorry."

The pain in Marth's leg slowly intensified. Robin knew he had to do something, he saw a bench that they could go sit in. He had a vulnerary which he kept in his cloak in case of emergencies.

"Marth let's go to that bench over there. I can apply a vulnerary that can at least ease the pain."

"I can handle it."

"I'm not going to take no for an answer. This will ease the pain a bit until we get you to a nurse."

The masked swordsman gave a heavy sigh. "Fine."

Robin placed Marth and put Marth's sword by the side of the bench. He gently lift his foot up laying it flat on top of the bench. Robin pulled the salve out from his cloak, and was about to dab his fingers in the balm until Marth interrupted him.

"Let me do it myself."

"Can't let you do that. You just relax." _He is very hesitant as if he is trying to hide something that he does not want me knowing about._

Robin rolled up Marth's bloody pant leg revealing a large gash with blood dripping. The cut did not reach the bone but portion of his pink flesh was visible with blooding flowing . Robin started feeling queasy but pulled himself back together. He could only imagine the pain he was going through, it must have been a miracle that he was able to even walk with that kind of injury. He then dabbed two fingers into the ointment.

"This will hurt a little but I need you to stay still." Marth nodded and his body slightly tensed up bracing for the pain. He then grabbed Marth's leg with one hand to keep it from moving in case his leg twitches from the pain. His leg was soft and smooth, feminine like. Marth then bit the collar of his shirt. Robin gently placed his fingers around the wound then carefully made his way between the revealing flesh. Marth grunted loudly in pain, his body cringed violently but Robin continued applying the salve. After he finished, he wrapped a cloth around his leg to close the wound. Marth just stared at him. Never taking his sight off him.

Marth slightly tilted his head, "What is your name?"

"Huh? Oh I'm sorry where are my manners. My name is Robin. I am a newly appointed tactician of the Shepherds." He said smiling. Marth just stared off into space. It was difficult for Robin to read his expression but continued talking about himself.

"You know, without Chrom and Lissa, his little sister. I probably wouldn't be here. You see, I am a man with no past because I woke up with amnesia so anything before my awakening is nothing but a blank page. If he hadn't found me, then I don't know what would have happened. I still have many questions that I want to figure out. Who am I? Where did I come from? Why do I only remember my strategical studies? I believe, if I stay with this group I will find those answers. It's kind of funny how life can instantly change." Robin stood up.

"You're… a very odd person, but you are yet optimistic as well. That's a quality not many people have these days even for a tactician. With all the tension between Ylisse and Plegia there is a lot of unrest and panic." said Marth.

"Hehe, I guess you can say that. It is very stressing though since it is my duty to keep them safe. I must constantly look at my comrades and our surroundings coming up with many different courses of attack and outcomes but that is my responsibility as a crack tactician you know. As for the tension between these two countries I have not had the time to figure out the history of why things came to be."

"That is absurd." He said abruptingly. "How did you become fa… Chrom's tactician and not know anything at all about the history of the thousand year conflict?"

Marth's outburst caught the tactician off guard.

"Trust when I tell you this, but even I don't know what to say about this either. Imagine waking up in the middle of nowhere with no memory at all except you know all these battle strategies and by chance the group you helped belong to royalty and without any notice become the strategist for a small army. Weird things happen I guess, the future holds a lot of suprises I guess. Robin's last words hit Marth. The last sentence also made him realize something as well. His job did become a whole lot more difficult as he is not just leading a small band of fighters but now an army._ He's right, I haven't even thought of that yet until he brought it up._

There was a brief pause for both. Robin decided it was best to change the subject.

"How does your leg feel by the way?"

"The pain has eased." He said slowly moving his injured leg around to check on its condition.

"The infirmary isn't that far away, do you want to go now?"

"Yes please." Not a single word was spoken for the rest of the way. The duo both made their way into the infirmary.

"Nurse, we have a wounded fighter." An old cleric entered from the other room to find out who called her.

"Hel- Oh dear! Come child we must get you treated pronto." The cleric gently wrapped Marth's arm around her head." Don't worry young man, I can handle this from here. You may come back in a while if you want."

He complied the cleric's request and decided to come back later. Before he made his way out the door Marth cried out.

"Wait!"

Robin's train of thought broke and turned around toward Marth.

"Yes."

"Thank you… for helping me." The tone of voice was different this time. Her voice sounded feminine and Robin picked up on it.

Suspicions rose through his or perhaps her action. Marth realized what he had done from this slight slip up. The clue came as a shock to the tactician but that just piled on with more questions on the masked fighter.

"You're welcome." Robin walked out of the infirmary confused but at least he has a clue that Marth is not what he seems to be. Several questions were still lingering in his head as he headed towards the exit. _Not much was learned about him from our conversation. He's a little stubborn and independent, refusing the help of anyone. He could have been the person who was also spying on us back at Longfort by the look of that mask and he learned to fight from his father. However, one crucial clue that I heard was the tone our hero might not be what he appears to be. _

After a half hour of weaving through the busy streets of Regna Ferox he arrived back at the inn where he received a warm welcome from the Shepherds. The Shepherds were planning a victory party and were gathering a list of goodies to buy. Everything was organized by the ebullient young princess.

"Alright everyone, you all should have gotten a list of what you are getting and I expect everyone to be here in less than an hour. Now go out there so we can get this party started." Everybody was in high spirits and they all left swiftly.

"Ehem, Lissa, where is Chrom." Robin asked.

"He and Frederick are over at the castle with Flavia. By the way congratulations on the victory. You and everyone out there were amazing out.

"Thank you Lissa. To be honest with you, I did not believe it was going to be that easy. There was a slight set back though." He remembered about Vaike and became worried.

"Lissa, how is Vaike doing?"

"Don't worry Robin, Vaike is resting upstairs in his room. He took a blow to the head during the match and now has is a big bump on his head but other than that, he is perfectly fine.

"That's a relief."

"Thank you Lissa, your guys' support has helped me a lot these past few days."

"We're lucky to have you Robin." Lissa was always able to cheer up Robin. _Must be a natural gift_ he thought.

Lissa put a hand on her hip. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure Lissa."

"Ever since I first met you I have always been curious about that brand in your left hand. Is there by chance that you could be of noble blood like us?" Robin turned his attention to his brand. A purple mark in a spiral formation and what look to be eyes on each side. "You know I never really thought or have any idea about it before_._ Do most noble families get marks on their bodies?"

"Hmm, not that I know of you'll probably have to ask Chrom or my sister to figure that out. Well that doesn't help much but as I've said before, we'll help you get your memories back, I promise. Anyways, do you want to help me go get the cake? I ordered it yesterday at the bakery when I was out exploring. I thought it would nice for when we won the tournament."

"But what if we lost?"

"Uh, well…. at least we have the cake hehe." Softly rubbing the back of her head.

Robin shook his head but laughed.

"Ha ha, sure I'll go with you.

"Then let's get going Robin we're on the clock.

**A/N In the upcoming days i will update my profile explaining how I'm going to handle this fanfic and a little bit about my writing ability. Other than that, i want to say thank you to all who have continued checking up on ROACT. Hopefully, you all are enjoying it as much as i have. With each view just motivates me more and i kind of feel bad that i ain't typing these out quick but i am also figuring out on what i need to work on to make my writing a bit more professional. Next chapter will come sooner as expected. I am almost finished writing the next chapter and i like this one a lot for some reason. A question that i kind of wanted to ask you guys for a good while. Hoshido or Nohr? i personally was conflicted at the question but i am kind of leaning towards Nohr. Other than that, reviews are appreciated as it lets me know what i need to focus on in the next chapters. Thank you all.**


	5. A Brief History Lesson

"As I have promised before I accept your offer to form an alliance." Her voice giving off a masculine tone would easily catch her listeners off guard.

The future exalt bowed at her. "Thank you your grace, I am eternally in your debt".

The newly coronated Khan of Regna Ferox guffawed at his humble gesture.

"You've already done that for me the moment you gave me sovereignty. It's been ages since I had control this land. I feel like an old sword trying to get it back and shine."

Chrom gave her some words of confidence. "You'll do great. With time comes experience."

The ironclad knight entered the throne room.

"I beg your pardon milord for coming in on such short notice, but we are now ready to depart. We resupplied our resources early morning." He pulled out a long list errands from armored suit. "I made sure everything on the list has been checked off."

"Thank you Frederick, you never cease to amaze me."

"Must you leave so soon Chrom? You are welcome to stay here a little longer if you must."

"As much as I want to stay and explore more this great kingdom. I must let my sister to know our current status. The faster we get to Ylisstol, the more comfortable I will feel of her safety.

A boisterous voice echoed throughout the room as a genial giant and a mysterious fellow walked towards the group.

"Khan Basilio, it's a pleasure to see you again."

"To you the same lad, I came here to send you off with a parting gift. Step up here boy."

Upon first glance it was obvious to note that he is not a happy go lucky man just by looking at his facial expression. He wore a long blue tunic, with the red strap around his stomach, leather boots extended knee high, black leather gloves and a kitana strapped to his waist.

Basillio slapped the man's back. "This man here is my erstwhile champion Lon'qu. Since he was thirteen years old he has been serving as my champion. He is my best warrior, I believe that he may what it takes to become a great Khan someday."

The prince extended his hand out attempting to shake his hand.

"It's an honor to meet you Lon'qu"

Not a word slipped out of the Warriors' mouth.

He retreated his hand back to his side. "Alright then, anyways welcome aboard."

"Ha, the boy does take some time getting used too. I hope you know what the task is Lon." He nudged Lon'qu's stomach.

"He orders me where to go, I kill people, and we all get to live another day. And stop calling me that." he snarled.

Chrom quickly remembered something he meant to ask the West Khan.

"Ah, before I forget, there's something I wanted to ask you."

The khan folded his arms. "Hmm? What is it?"

"It deals with Marth, is there anything that you can tell me about him?"

He gave a sad look of disappointment.

"Sorry but I don't know much about him either. Four days ago, he came over to our training yard and challenged Lon'qu to a battle. Next thing you know, he immediately knocks out my champion. I offered him the chance to take Lon'qu's place and he accepted it. Like Lon'qu here, he is not much of a talker. Only being direct and ends sentences with either yes or no. Even now, I still do not know how he bested him."

Lon'qu's face slightly changed color. But kept a stern face.

* * *

Meanwhile, Robin finished dropping off his belongings in the wagon. As always, he is mentally stuck in his mind thinking about the conversation he had with Marth shortly after the tournament. That same night, he went to the infirmary only to learn that he had escaped undetected after spending only a couple of hours there.

He cupped his chin. "Something still seems odd about her. Lissa and Chrom mentioned that she came from a portal in the sky. In addition, she warned us to keep our guard up stating that if we aren't careful, then Armageddon will surely fall upon us. Is it possible that he is from the future or just a lunatic? And if he isn't how far back did he travel? So many questions but with so little information.

"Robin? Hey ROBIN! Are you listening to me?"

His mind drifted back into reality, noticing the delicate little princess waving her hands across his face.

"Jeez, Robin. You were staring off into space for so long I was wondering if I should have called for help or play mess with you.

"I'm fine Lissa, just that a lot of things have been on my mind you know. Most of my thoughts have been about Marth. His life seems more mysterious than mine considering the fact that he materialized out of thin air.

The thought of Marth put Lissa in a trance. Her cheeks turning rosy, waving her head left to right.

"Huuhhh, he is so dreamy. Someday, I'll figure out how he looks like under the mask. And maybe with a lot of wishing he will sweep me off my feet into his majestic horse and ride into the sunset.

She too stared off into space for a couple of seconds.

"Now who's dozing off into space?"

"Is everything okay here you two?"

"Chrom! I just finished loading the last of my things in the storage cart. On your command, we make for Ylisstol."

Chrom gave a slight nod "Of course, let's make haste. Emmeryn would surely be glad to receive the good news." He turned his attention towards his little sister. "Lissa, I want you to get on the convoy. Reason why is that I noticed your delicate little body cannot handle long marches when we came up here.

Lissa was angered by his remark and hit her brother on his arm considerably hard.

"How many times do I have to have to tell you, I am not DELICATE, I just get tired easily.

Chrom smiled and placed his hand on the top of her head.

"Don't be so naïve little sister. In time, you will develop physically and mentally. Listen, how about when we get back to Ylisstol. I will get whatever your little heart desires."

She gave it some thought and her temper slightly improved. "Hmph, fine."

"Thank you sister."

Chrom and Frederick both moved in front of the group.

"Shepherds, I just wanted to announce before we go that we have a new member joining our ranks. The west khan has told me his sword fighting skills are phenomenal and was his former champion. I would like you all to meet Lon'qu"

Lon'qu's form was sharp as he did not look at any of his new comrades. The majority of the shepherds felt either awkward or intimidated by his appearance. Everybody still greeted him with open arms. Some of the Shepherds attempted to communicate with the Myrmidon only to be ignored, especially with the women because he did not let them even get close to him within a five foot radius.

"Hey! I just wanted to say hello is all." Cried the princess. She stomped on the ground aggressively.

"Hello and goodbye." Walking away from her.

She crossed her arms. "Hmph, well excuse me for invading your space."

The prince mounted on his horse raised his hand to gather their attention. "It's time to head out. We've got quite a journey ahead of us. Shepherds, are we all set to go?"

Everyone nodded in unison.

"Right, off we go."

At half a day's march, they passed through Longfort and continued marching until the first sign of twilight. They decide to camp at the same location they were at on the first night of their travels.

They erected their tents in the same formation as last time. Unfortunately for their newest member, there weren't any more tents for him to spend the night in. Chrom proposed that he should spend the night in Robin's tent but he refused and volunteered to take the first shift of night watch, the prince accepted the offer.

By dinner time, the group coalesced around the table while they also received their dose of nourishing sustenance. The majority reveled in on what estival activities they were going to do once they arrive home. Vaike and Sully are going to train, Stahl wants to try a new restaurant that opened up near the castle and Lissa wants to practice on being a well-mannered lady.

"I'm sure Maribelle would gladly help you out on that subject little sister." Chrom gave a brief yawn. The march left him haggard as he struggled to stay awake. He looked at Robin who was busy gulping down his food. "What about you Robin? Got anything going on once we get back?"

"Hhmm, uumm nothing in particular. However, I do plan on talking with the shepherds one on one. I think it's about time I started created a roster."

"A roster, why?"

"Well, remember how we all paired up and everyone worked with their partner to defeat their foes."

"Yeah?"

"Well, that got me thinking. What if people tend to work better with someone that complements each other's strengths and cover up their weaknesses. What I plan to write on this roster is a short biography on each of the shepherds. With detailed description on their likes and dislikes, personality, a quality that makes them stand out, and… their birthdays."

"Are you planning to talk to everyone on the same day?"

"No, but eventually I'll get a chance to talk to everyone and on a personal note, this will help strengthen the bond with the person."

"I see, by strengthening our bonds we not only increase morale but become more in sync with each other."

"Exactly." Robin said snapping his finger.

Chrom couldn't help but smile at the mauve cloaked tactician.

"We are really fortunate to have such a gifted strategist. Naga has blessed us with a dedicated, stalwart ally and friend."

Chrom's words always uplift his spirits and chuckled "You give me too much credit Chrom. Everybody plays an important part. Me? I'm just basically another chess piece."

"Right, I think that is something all the shepherds should follow, strong friendships really do help on the battlefield but if I might suggest something. Take some time for yourself as well. Do not lock yourself up reading strategies or think about war. Sometimes it's good to unwind, especially at times like these. I'm glad that at the moment, nothing drastic has happened. Ylisse is a halidom known for its peaceful nature. Something that my sister Emmeryn spent fifteen years fulfilling this dream.

Robin grew curious at the last comment.

An eyebrow slightly rose. "What was occurring during that time?"

Chrom's weary body could not stay fully awake any longer as he let out a big yawn.

"I'll explain what happened sometime later." Slowly getting up from his seat, he stretched his arms. "I'm getting really sleepy."

Robin immediately got up as well. "Chrom, is it okay if I take the second shift of night watch? I'm not really sleeping tonight."

"If that is what you want then be my guest."

"I will Chrom, thank you. You have a good night." He bowed.

"Right back at ya." He then gathered the attention of his army. "Shepherds, I want you all up and ready by daybreak. Otherwise you'll receive an unpleasant wakeup call by Frederick. Other than that, everybody have a good night."

Time ticked forward as one by one each warrior retreated back into their tents except for Lon'qu and the tactician. Robin thought about using this time to get acquainted with the Myrmidon. For the entire march he has not said a single word to anyone nor has he attempted to approach someone.

"_It's time to figure out who Lon'qu is." _He thought to himself. In less than a minute, he already elaborated various questions and replies from different answers.

Eventually the tactician found their new ally circling around the whole campsite with one hand on the hilt of his kitana. Robin made sure not to startle him as he came up from behind.

He cleared his throat. "Ehem, hello Lon'qu."

He slightly turned his head around, his scowling eyes made Robin feel a bit intimidated. He scratched the back of his head.

"Right umm anyways. I was wondering if I could join you?"

He replied back with a short grunt and continued his patrol.

_At least he gave me some sort of response. _He ceaselessly followed him hoping to start something.

"I will take that as a yes."

Lon'qu sighed.

_He is not a talkative type of guy, he also finds the presence of people vexing. If that is the case then that might be trouble in the battlefield. Let's see if I can use that towards my advantage on figuring him out._

"So…. What was it like being Basillio's champion? It must have been a great honor representing him for eight years. Your sword fighting skills must be incredible if you were able to help him be Khan twice."

"….."

"How was Marth able to beat you anyway?"

Lon'qu immediately turned his whole body around and drew his blade, the tip of his sword inches away from his face. His facial expression was infuriating and his gaze stared intensely into his eyes.

"That match was nothing but a fluke. There was no way I would have lost to that novice swordsman."

"Whoa, easy there buddy. I didn't mean to offend you."

"Don't call me buddy."

"Okay I'm sorry. Again, I did not mean to offend you in any way. I was just wondering, that's all."

Lon'qu placed his sword back in its sheath. Thinking for a few seconds while his pupils moved left and right hesitating on whether to say something or not.

"I… I was caught off guard. He stumbled backwards and I grabbed him by his chest but what I thought was a man was actually a woman"

_So Marth is a woman! _Robin thought to himself. Even after the event with Marth. He still was not sure what he or she was.

"Does it matter if Marth was a woman?" Robin asked.

Lon'qu crossed his arms. "Normally in a battle, it does not bother me but this woman disguised himself as a man. The sudden shock left me open thus allowing her to knock me out with one foul hit. When I woke up, I found out that she took my place as champion.

Something clicked in Robin's mind. "There is actually something that caught my attention about you. Every time a woman approaches you. You become overprotective or retreat. Why is that?

"That is much more personal for me to say. However, an event in my past has left me with a case of what they call gynophobia."

"Gynophobia?"

"Yes, whenever a woman gets within arm's reach. An instinct kicks in causing me to panic or coddle myself."

"Interesting. How long has this been going on for?"

"Since I was ten."

"Have you made any attempts to get over your fear?"

The question left Lon'qu at a pause. His visage became sobersided. "No, are we done with this conversation yet? I need to get back on patrol."

Though Robin did not want to end the conversation just yet, he felt that it was best not to end things off on a bad note.

"Of course, sorry to bother you. I'll be in my quarters when your shift ends. You are welcome to spend the night there if you wish to do so."

Lon'qu returned to his silent behavior, giving a nod at the inquisitive tactician before continuing his duty. Robin returned to his tent to respite his weary legs.

_Lon'qu's past seems to bring him discomfort. It's best for now to not pair him up with any of our female units but it would be a good idea to help him get passed his fear little by little. I should take a short nap or else, I might regret patrolling with a lack of sleep._

Robin laid on his mattress and unbuckled his belts and shoes. An instantaneous relief surged through his body. In a matter of seconds, he dozed off.

* * *

His conscience created an image. A mountainous terrain, two trails heading up towards the top of the cliff. By the side of each path were forts guarded by pikeman, wyvern riders and barbarians. At the bottom of the mountain were four people. A skinny man with sharpened nails, ash grey skin, burgundy hair with a crown. A woman with purple tattoos, whitish purple hair, her outfit was somewhat revealing, and a barbarian holding Maribelle.

_What's going on? is this a dream?_

_Maribelle struggled to free herself from her captor_

"_Unhand me you brute, let me go this instant you idiotic troglodyte!"_

_The vixen slowly approached Maribelle. She shook her head in disappointment. "Is this war truly worth it? All this bloodshed because of you!" giving a soft menacing laugh._

_Maribelle grimaced "Oh gods no… Lissa. Forgive me."_

_Without warning a blast of air whirled around the barbarian lacerating his entire body with wind blades. A young mage ran towards the troubadour and untied her._

"_Come on Maribelle, you're free now. Let's get out of here."_

"_Ricken!? What are you doing here?" she yelled in panic._

_The women in black witnessed the whole event. "Oh? Is this kid your boyfriend? HA, that's cute. Still, I'm not showing any mercy just because you're a little brat."_

_The remark angered the young boy._

"_Don't ever call me a boy." He prepared to cast another spell._

"_Ricken! Don't!" Cried Maribelle._

"_Enjoy these last few seconds of life, because they WILL be your last." She spoke menacingly grinning._

"_ELWIND"_

"_GOETIA"_

_Fierce mana expelled from the palm of their hand. Both blasts colliding with each other causing it to spread around the entire area. The boy struggled maintaining his spell. The witch laughed. From the look of her eyes, it was easy to tell she was just toying with him._

"_Goodbye" she said as a surge of magic shot out enhancing her spell's power. The spell blasted through the boy's own attack impacting into the boy's chest. The force of the attack launched him, flying towards the shepherds. His body engulfed in a black miasma._

_Chrom noticed him. "SOMEBODY CATCH HIM."_

_The closest one to where Ricken was about to land was Robin. The tactician's legs uncontrollably headed to catch the young mage._

_Why is my body moving on its own? It's as if it has a mind of its own._

_Robin was able to catch him with the force and weight of his body pushing him back landing on the ground._

_Sounds of footsteps and clanking metal could be heard rushing towards him. The first to arrive was Chrom who fell to his knees to check on his condition. Robin's sight never turned anywhere else. The blast ripped a whle through his clothes, ash covering his chest. Gasping for air while his skin turned pale, his veins darkened around his face._

"_No, no no no gods. Ricken! Hold on buddy. LISSA, I NEED YOU HERE NOW!"_

_His gasps turned quieter and less frequent. Robin held Ricken's hand the whole time and was losing grip until the young body effortlessly let go._

"_Ricken please don't give up." Cried the young prince. He placed his head into his chest. "He's not breathing."_

"_He's… gone Chrom." Replied Robin._

"_Is this a dream or not? Why is this happening?"_

_Robin was in shock, unable to distinguish this as an illusion or reality._

"_Robin, we got to get this son of a bitch. What's the plan?"_

_His vision started getting blurry. Fading into darkness while Chrom's voice continued saying his name._

* * *

"Robin…. Robin…. Wake up."

He started getting consciousness, as he awoke from his short slumber muttering words.

"Wuh-what!"

A voice whispered from outside the tent. "It's your turn for watch."

Yawning while pinching his nose with two fingers. "Of course, thank you for waking me up Lon'qu. You can sleep in here if you want. Bugs fly around here at this time of night.

"I'll be fine. I'll sleep by the fire."

Robin re-equipped his gear. Tome and iron sword concealed inside his signature cloak. He walked through the tent flap and embarked on his patrol. It's a full moon tonight and the trees are basking in its luminous glow. The center campfire and torches also lit the night providing warmth around the vicinity. A calm and soothing night for anyone to get a goodnights sleep. For the majority of his patrol, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. No risen appeared, no wild animals, nothing but peace and the crackling of a warm fire. Robin thought about sneaking off from his post to visit the same place he went last time they were here. He wanted to reflect more from the events from the past few days and a particular situation that his caught his attention.

He kept himself alert while walking in the path he took last time. Silence can mean two different things, nothing or an ambush waiting to happen. He kept one arm inside his cloak, holding his tome as it provides higher range. After five minutes of walking through the thick bushes, he finally arrived at his comfort spot. A shroud covered night and took a seat on a rugged rock. The entire field was blanketed by darkness. The smell of Mother Nature helped him concentrate and clear his mind. Exhaling, he reminisced the last few days: the battle at longfort, meeting Flavia, exploring Regna Ferox, the tournament, and like always Marth. He's been facing a lot of stress lately too. Though Ylisse has support from Regna Ferox. We still do not know whether Plegia and Ylisse will go to war or not. If they do, he's in charge of leading 10,000 men into the battlefield.

"Am I ready for this? There is so much at stake here. Sure, I was able to get us this far but those were just small battles. These might come at a bigger price. And what about that dream? It felt so real that it left me startled. There is so much going on."

Doubt clouded his mind. In just a matter of weeks, he went from an amnesiac with an enigmatic past into a tactician commanding an army.

"What else is life going to throw at me?"

The bushes violently rustled. Catching Robin's attention, his senses were in high alert.

_I had to open my mouth_

"Lissa? Is that you?"

There was not a sound except the smooth breeze and shaking of the leaves. His hand tucked inside his cloak firmly gripping iron. He slowed his breathing, calming himself.

_Lissa trying to scare me with some of the Shepherds? Risen, a wild animal. I can't let my guard down._

As he approached the origin of the sound, there were several red dots glowing through the shrubs.

Whoever you guys are, show yourselves now!

There was a brief pause.

Suddenly, four figures ran out of the bushes, each one carrying a sword. Their bodies wrinkled and gray.

"Risen. If there are some here then… I've got to warn the shepherds."

He pulled out his thunder tome from his cloak. "Four against one. The odds aren't exactly in my favor. Hopefully, they are a clumsy bunch."

Electrical currents coursed through his body as they expelled through his fingertips. Knocking one out with ease. A risen flung himself towards Robin, the creatures sword held up high. Robin swiftly rolled out of the way sending more electricity out of his body. The assailant was to slow to react and was rag dolled into the air disappearing in a violet miasma. The last two risen arrived, circling around the very alert tactician who kept constant watch on both risen.

Oddly, one of the risen slowly lifted his hand and mumbled as if he was trying to communicate with him.

"GRryaha Y-youuuu gyah."

Robin grunted in confusion in confusion. "Are you… talking to me?"

More rustling could be heard from the trees.

"More risen. This is bad."

Two silhouettes popped out of the trees. This time however, the shapes were easy to figure out.

"Robin! Are you alright?!" Chrom said running with the petite princess following her older brother.

"Yeah" he replied back.

The duo were just now a couple feet away from their troubled friend. He looked back at his sister.

"Lissa, stay here."

"Right." She nodded. As Chrom continued running.

Both risen lunged themselves at Robin. Chrom had to get by Robin's side. He jumped up in the air, the height he leapt was unlike any human can do, and this was superhuman like abilities. Descending down, he pulled his sword out of his sword. He pointed it down towards the risen. The attack was successful as Falchion impaled through its enemy. Robin was able to block the other Risen's attack before he struck it down.

"Are there anymore risen around here?" he asked hastily.

"Peace, Robin there isn't any sign of more. Frederick and the others are on guard, Lon'qu noticed you have disappeared and told Frederick of your sudden disappearance. We were all worried."

Lissa approached the small group. "Is something bothering you still?"

Robin let out a big sigh. "Ye-yeah, to be totally honest with you guys. I'm just a little worried about this whole situation with Plegia. I do not know much about the place and how the tension between you guys started. To top it off, I'm afraid that I won't meet your expectations if war does start. I feel confident in small battles but am I truly prepared to command an entire army? I don't want to leave you guys either, you're all I have in this big world. I don't want too..."

Lissa rushed and hugged him. His eyes widened with surprise as she buried her head in his chest sniffling. Chrom also placed a hand on his shoulder lightly squeezing it. And gently smiling at him.

"I know how you feel Robin. I feel the same way as you do. You aren't alone on this if that can at least comfort you a bit. I too must command 10,000 troops as well. For some, it may be their first and final battle. You too must have that feeling as well. The fact that you are leading them to their deaths. If there was any other way to resolve this conflict. I would take it without hesitation. However, Gangrel refuses to reach an agreement of peace. He cowers behind his lies claiming he has done nothing and is set to start a war. However, he wants to deal the first strike. For years, the mad king has tried to instigate war between our two nations to get retribution from my father's actions.

Chrom crossed his arms.

"I think it is about time that I tell you more about Ylisse's dark history. But in order for you to understand. I must tell you from the beginning. It can get confusing but please bear with me.

Curiosity clouded the tacticians mind.

A thousand years ago, our world was in utter chaos and was on the verge of destruction. An evil dragon by the name of Grima spread despair and death to every place he flew by. He was not alone though for he had an army who followed and worshipped him. This group is known as the grimleal. Thousands of soldiers battled Grima and his followers but were unable to stop them until Naga, a divine dragon, and the first exalt joined forces to defeat the beast. Naga bestowed upon the exalt one of her fangs. He then forged it to what would be called the divine blade Falchion. Along with Falchion was its counterpart, the Fire Emblem, one of the royal treasures of the land. Five gemstones also came with the emblem. With these sacred items, the first exalt was able to defeat Grima. Though Grima was defeated, the dragon did not perish.

Robin became confused.

"Before you ask questions, let me explain. Falchion was imbued with the power to slay dragons. However, Grima is also a god too. So after Grima has been defeated, he was put in a deep slumber. The first Exalt then restored Ylisse back into its former state. As time passed by, Ylisse then split into three countries. These countries are known as the Halidom of Ylisse, Regna Ferox, and the Theocracy of main reason for this split was due to beliefs. Ylisse value peace and wisdom, Regna Ferox believe that the strongest and meant to lead while Plegia's is a different story. Ylisse also worships the Naga because of the aid she did for us. However, some of the citizens thought otherwise. The grimleal, who are followers of Grima, manipulated the minds of thousands of people and convinced them to move to Plegia by promising them everlasting wealth. During a period of a thousand years which is a time called the scouring. All three nations grew and prospered. The first exalt knew that the emblem's power was too great, such a powerful artifact could corrupt the minds or even worse incinerate those unworthy enough to wield it. So he spread the gemstones throughout the world. Ylisse has then possessed one of the gemstones while the location of the others remain unknown. Fifteen years ago, my fath…"

"Milord, is that you? It's too dark to know." Frederick forcefully walked through the bushes. Concerned about his lord, barraging him with questions.

"Yes, Frederick." He said irritatedly.

"Is Robin.."

"Yes yes! Everything is fine now." yelled the prince.

The knight gave a sigh of relief. "Thank the gods, everyone is on high alert for risen or bandits."

"I don't think there are anymore. I was just in the middle of a history lesson with Robin."

Frederick cautiously looked around the area. Ready for anything that decides to come out and attack. "That story will have to wait until we get back into camp. Your safety is my priority."

Chrom sighed, "I'll put the rest of the story on hold. Come on lets go before Frederick goes full nanny mode."

"What was that milord?"

"I said let's go before anything else decides to ambush us."

"Well said milord."

Robin, Chrom, and Lissa silently giggled at Frederick on the way back to camp.

Robin's worries have eased slightly. All he wants to know now is what happened fifteen years ago as they walked back into the safety of their camp.

* * *

**A/N It's been a year now since i started this project. Here's to the another year. If you guys found it difficult to understand who was talking, let me know so i can keep it in mind for later chapters.**


	6. Welcome to Your New Home

Citizens gathered on the side of the streets, greeting and cheering on the prince and princess's return.

"ALL HAIL THE PRINCE! ALL HAIL THE PRINCESS!"

Seems like the citizens of the kingdom found out about their victorious battle at Regna Ferox. Guards rushed to the streets and acted as a barricade so the crowd would not rush towards them. The wary Frederick rode his horse to the front of group to check for any dangers and unwanted pebbles. Frederick ordered Sully and Stahl to stay by the prince and princess. Chrom and the rest of the Shepherds waved at the crowd.

The prince looked back at the haggard tactician rubbing his eyes. The night went smoothly after the predicament but he underestimated the amount of energy needed to stay awake and walk around the camp.

"Tired?"

The tactician yawned. "Yeah, night watch sure takes a lot out of a person."

He looked towards the crowd. "Word seems to spread fast does it not?" he gave a yawn.

"Must have been the traveling merchants. News does happen to spread fast amongst the nations."

Through the cheers of the crowd, one of the royal guards raised his voice. "HEY YOU! STOP RIGHT THERE!"

A little girl in a blue dress and black bodice managed to sneak passed the guards and ran towards the wagon Robin and Lissa were on. Robin noticed her and pulled on the reins, putting the horses to a stop. The little girl has a small red flower. Robin thought it was intended for Lissa.

"Oh Lissa, this little girl wants to give you something."

"Really!" The princess peeked out of the wagon to look at the girl. "Oh hi! Do you have something for me?" she reached her hand out so she can receive the flower. Surprisingly, the girl giggled and shook her head no.

"WHAT!" Lissa said in shock, even Robin was surprised. Robin pointed at himself. "Is that for me?"

The girl blushed and nodded yes. Robin looked at Lissa who seemed she was going to cry at any moment. He leaned to grab the flower.

"Th- thank you very much." he smiled.

The girl giggled again. Behind her though, two guards walked towards her with stern looks on their faces.

"Hey little girl! What are you doing there? Get out of there!" the guard yelled. The guard aggressively grabbed the girl's wrist. The girl showed signs of discomfort and pain. Robin got out of the wagon. The rest of the Shepherds stopped and noticed the tactician. Robin poked the guards back to get his attention.

"Uumm Excuse me sir, may I take the girl back where she came from?"

The guard nodded at Robin. "Fine."

He kneeled and grabbed her hand to check her wrist. "It is going to be alright. Are you okay?"

"Y-yes, thank you mister."

He smiled, "Well I'm glad and call me Robin. What's your name?

"Ilyana."

"That's a nice name. Here." He reached into his cloak and pulled out a bag of candies. "You can have this bag. Its filled with candies from Regna Ferox. Now, who did you come here with."

"My mom and dad."

"Let's make sure we get you back to your parents safely alright?"

As they strolled to find her parents, there was a weird feeling in Robin's chest. This little girl made him feel more welcome. Someone other than Chrom, Lissa, and the Shepherds made him feel like he belonged. She tugged on his cloak. "They are right there, Robin."

The family reached to grab their daughter.

"That is one daring girl you got there. Make sure you share those candies with your parents alright."

People applauded at Robin's kind action. However, there were some distrusting gazes towards him and he could not wonder why.

"What's wrong?"

A few of the townsfolk backed away. Lissa walked up to Robin who was still trying to figure out why there were mixed emotions. She tugged on his cloak. "R-Robin? We should get going."

* * *

In the main hall of the castle stood the Exalt Emmeryn, accompanied by her beloved siblings. The Exalt has been eager for their arrival since they left. Lissa ran into her sister's arms and hugged her ever so dearly. Emmeryn stroked her sister's curly hair.

"It's so great to you too Lissa." lightly swirling her sister's hair with her fingertips.

"Hello sister." said the prince. Chrom and Lissa never fail to make Emmeryn smile, even in these fearful times. The exalt walked up to her brother and hugged him.

"I'm glad you all came back safely." She looked over at Frederick who entered at the room. "Frederick, I thank you again for keeping my brother and sister safe."

The gallant knight bowed. "Think nothing of it your majesty. It is my sworn duty to protect his majesty."

"Ahem." interrupted Chrom. "Emm, I come with good news. We have successfully established an alliance with Regna Ferox. They will support us with troops and anything else if the situation worsens.

Emmeryn pleasantly smiled and clamped her hands together. "That is excellent news Chrom, though, I have already heard this news from the people. It has lifted a weight off my shoulders. The people of Ylisse and I owe you all a huge thanks. I suggest we have a council meeting later today to discuss the matter. We must also plan to head back to Regna Ferox to discuss the future and safety of our two nations.

"Understood sister. Is there anything else I may do for you?"

"Yes, can you have Robin see me right now? I believe I may have some information regarding where he might have come from."

"Really? That is good news for our friend."

Frederick's investigative instincts kicked in. "Your majesty, may I ask where he might have come from?"

"I did not notice it until you have departed. The motifs on his cloak closely resemble the mark of Grima. This leads me to assume that he might have come from Plegia."

There was a stern look on Frederick's face. _How could I have been so blind._

Emmeryn knew she had to think of something quick. She called out to him. "Frederick, may I ask you to do something for me. I've noticed a couple of uhh r-rats"

"Rats?" Frederick gave an odd look.

"Yes, in the kitchen. They've been stealing our food supply and I fear they may have diseases. I was hoping you can get place a couple of traps around the castle."

"It shall be done milady, though this request seems quite … random."

"Thank you, Frederick. Just remember to attend the war council later today."

As Frederick walked away to attend to the Exalt's request, her brother approached her with a warm smile on his face.

"Thank you, you prevented what I think would of have been a dilemma for Robin. We know that Frederick means well but I do not want him to go off mere assumptions. Anyways, Robin is helping the shepherds unload the wagons. With the short time, he has been with us. He has contributed a lot."

Emmeryn looked at her little peppy sister. "Lissa would you be a dear as to ask Robin to see me?"

"Of course," she giggled as she skipped away outside to find him.

"How is Robin doing? Has any of his memory come back?"

"Unfortunately, no. I also have to add that this has been bothering him ever since we marched off to Regna Ferox. Whenever, he is not busy. He is just in the back laying on the wagon or tent deep in thought. Lissa and I are worried about him."

She became concerned.

"It's only natural for him to be acting like this. To look deep inside himself and try to find a glimmer of hope that may help remember something. There he was waking up in the middle of nowhere without a clue to what his name is, where he came from, no family or friends go to. The only thing he had were the three of you. Robin showed his courage and selflessness by using the only thing he could remember. His military tactics, when Southtown was attacked. And look where he is now, a tactician of what might soon become of army that Robin, you and I must lead if things come to worse. He must be stressed since we dragged him into a war. I say we give him a choice whether he wants to stay here or go off on his own. I can't help but fear what this revelation might bring to him. Some of the civilians might scold or even attack him, it might be difficult for him to get used to living here."

Chrom gave some thought to what she said. "When you put it like that. We have put him through a lot." he now felt bad and selfish. He put too much thought about protecting his people that he did not thinking about what Robin wanted to do. "He is not going to be alone on this. Its like what you said right now. He has Lissa, you, me, and the Shepherds. We will be there for him when he needs us."

Lissa bolted through the doors holding Robin by his sleeve. "LISSA SLOW DOWN!" he pleaded.

"Ta da, one tactician here."

Emmeryn gave her an awkward smile. "Th-thank you Lissa."

"Huh what's going on?" he said fixing his cloak. "Lissa didn't bother to tell me what was going on."

Lissa rubbed the back of her head and mildly laughed "Hehe, oh i think Maribelle is calling for me. Gotta go bye." and she bolted out of the hall.

"Did you want to see me your majesty?"

"Yes Robin, there has been something I've been wanting to tell you since you left for Regna Ferox."

Robin's curiosity engulfed him. "Really? What is it?"

She smiled. "Come, let's take a walk. Chrom, you may do as you please now."

He nodded. "I'll see you once I finish unpacking."

Robin and Emmeryn strolled towards the eastern side of the castle. A tall entrance led towards ten-foot-tall rose bushes that create an immense outline. A marble fountain set in the middle of the garden. The garden itself is split into four sections. Each section has different types of flowers petunias, gardenias, orchids, primrose and daisies. One section is specifically made for fruit trees to satisfy cravings and used to create dishes. It is a beautiful sight. This would be a perfect place for reading. They both stopped right by the fountain. The sound of the water flowing down felt soothing and calming. He reached his hand to touch crisp and cool liquid. The water surged through his body encasing him with its cool refreshing touch.

"Now Robin, before I begin. I would like to start off by apologizing for bringing you unto our troubles. This past week must have been tough and mentally straining."

It felt unpleasantly awkward for him to hear the Exalt apologize for something he willingly signed up for but it gave him a newfound respect. She is so humble that she apologizes for something that she cannot fully control.

"Oh, no your majesty, I joined willingly because I believe that if I stay with the shepherds. I may someday find a clue to who I am. It just so happens that a ran into your brother and sister. In the end, I feel like I should be thanking you guys for everything you've done for me so far."

"I believe that we both may benefit from each other. To express my gratitude for what you have done for me and my kingdom. I have asked to prepare a room for you in the castle."

Robin was caught by surprise. He jumbled his words. "E-eex- excuse me! I-I c-can't accept this your grace."

She just lightly laughed while covering her mouth with her fingertips. "Please just call me Emmeryn or Emm. I believe that your selfless nature has earned you the privilege to be here. You can also wander anywhere in the castle. I think you may like our library."

He bowed "Th-thank you very much… Emmeryn."

"Now, let's get down to the point. When Chrom first introduced me to you, I had a feeling you were not of this land. It was not until you departed that I noticed the markings on your arm and cloak. Now that I have better look at your markings I can tell that these markings are the mark of Grima. I theorize that you were a grimleal. A vast majority reside in Plegia and I'm guessing that you must have come from there."

The tactician looked at the markings on his hand. _It's quite possible that I must have been affiliated with them._

I've heard about the grimleal before from Chrom. They only want to cause despair and death and they worship the fell dragon Grima. If I was grimleal, does that mean I was evil before I lost my memory?"

"I cannot say for sure but from my perspective. I do not sense any shred of evil in you. I am afraid though that the citizens won't take kindly to your presence, please be careful."

"At least I have something to work with."

"I'm afraid all I know. I'm sorry I can't be of anymore use."

He shook his head "You've given me something."

She grabbed his hand. He blushed when her warm and soft skin made contact with his. "Please don't belittle yourself, because of you. You brought safety and comfort to my people." She took a brief paused. "I have to arrange a council meeting with Chrom and the high council. Why don't you go organize yourself to your new room and attend the war council later? I believe you might give valuable insight."

She pulled out a small leather pouch and placed it on his hands. Inside were gold bullions "Buy yourself some new clothes as well and anything you may need."

He nodded. "Understood Emm."

She gracefully walked away towards the castle. As he walked back to the wagon to retrieve his belongings, he could not help but think of this new info answers how the people viewed him when he arrived. They probably knew he was not from this place. He gave another look at his markings.

_Was I a follower of Grima? More importantly though is, did I try to bring the destruction of our world._

It seems the more he learned, the less he knew. An hour passed and Robin finished unloading the carts and unpacking his belongings in his room, even though all he had on him were the clothes on his back, his sword, tome, and a book. His quarters were empty but a bed and desk were provided. It had a balcony with a beautiful view of the kingdom. He spent the next few minutes imagining with what things he would later want to add to the room. A wardrobe with clothes. He sniffed himself and immediately backed away as he now realized how bad he smelled. His cloak has soaked up a week's worth sweat and drips of his own blood. _There are a few cuts in my cloak. I should get it washed a tailored today. Anyways, where was I again? Several maps to learn about various lands, a bookshelf, and a weapon case._

_Knock Knock_ "Robin! O Robin!" cried a familiar voice.

"You may en-." she barged in, scanning every inch of his room.

"OH Wwoooo- wait. Why is this room so empty? I can literally hear my voice echoing."

He shrugged and laughed. "Sorry to disappoint Lissa. I do not have anything except my weapons, the clothes on my back and a book."

She frowned, she expected much more than what she originally thought. Robin cleared his throat.

"So was my room the only reason you came here?"

She looked at him shyly. "Oh yeah. I was wondering if you were going to the war council. Chrom and the others are already waiting for you."

"What! Then let's get going! "He took off his cloak and dashed out not knowing where to go until he realized it. He looked at Lissa."I'll uhh follow you."

She winked back at him. "I promise after this is done I will give you a tour of the castle. Kay?"

The meeting room was adjacent to the throne room and by the looks of it, the pair were the last people needed to start. The exalt, Chrom, Frederick, Phila, and several high royals were in attendance. Lissa sat next to her siblings while Robin sat in the back. Emmeryn called for attention."

"Now that everyone is here, I would like to call this meeting to order. As everyone might have heard by now. My brother and his Shepherds have helped establish an alliance between Regna Ferox and our Kingdom. Chrom has informed me that they too have had a bandit problem sent by Plegia except that these brigands have disguised themselves as members of the royal family. This has brought the issue that we have no communication between our kingdoms and that we must establish a better connection if we are to ally with each other. Even though Regna Ferox is a military nation, I do believe that we can avoid a war. I will travel to Regna Ferox to travel in the following days to discuss these topics further with them. If the worse does occur, Chrom, Frederick, and Phila will be tasked with leading the army on Ylisse's behalf.

She looked towards her brother. "I will now pass it to my brother to explain to us what he plans to do."

He stood up and cleared his throat. "Thank you Emmeryn. Even though we have been granted military aid. We are still outnumbered. I know that my sister might not like this but I believe that we must start recruiting some of our own people. I'm not saying we force them to join like what our late father did but rather that they join on their own free will. I will assign help Frederick and Phila to bolster our numbers. I also suggest sending troops over to the western borders to stop brigands before they cross our borders to protect our villages. As you all know, a new threat has risen… no pun intended."

There were a few bits of laugher. Robin could hear Vaike snickering close by, Sully quickly punched Vaike in the back of the head. He placed his hands on the back of his head soon after.

"During our march towards Regna Ferox, we have encountered more risen. During our skirmish, I had Miriel, our scholar, capture details on these creatures. Miriel, if you may please share us your notes."

"Gladly." She adjusted her glasses and looked through her notes. "These creatures known as "risen" have taken the form of humans. Their bodies are stitched, as if their bodies are composed of different body parts which brought the question of whether these risen are the corpses of dead people that have been reanimated by an unnatural force. They have no remorse and attack anything that are on their sights. We also faced what seems to be a new type of risen. They wear a loincloth on their torso and a type of sack on their head with three holes cut open for the eyes and mouth. Their feet are planted to the ground but can uproot themselves and walk. Common traits that both types share is that they are extremely clumsy and react slowly but the humanoid type can run at an exceptional speed. Red ruby eyes, average strength, but still rather clumsy, a purple miasma emits from their mouths which makes me wonder if they require oxygen to survive. I would like to conduct tests on these miscreants to do more examinations and see if we can study the anatomy to find any weak points If possible I would like to capture two or three Risen to conduct my studies."

"It will be risky to capture them but I will allow it if the opportunity presents itself." said the Exalt. "Please be careful."

"The Shepherds and I will assist her in capturing them "said the prince.

"One last note, when a risen is defeated, they seem to dematerialize into thin air. That's all I have for now"

"Thank you Miriel."

"Another announcement I'd like to make is that we acquired two new allies. Regna Ferox has given us their former champion Lon' qu. He has excellent sword skills who helped the West Khan, Basilio, stay in power for several years. Another one is a tactician whom we met by Southtown named Robin. He is a skilled tactician and the shepherds and I can vouch for him. I would like to assign him as one of our generals. Robin, please show yourself.

Robin stood up and looked around the room. Looking at everyone's eyes, there were some stern looks that pierced right through him making him feel nervous but he mustered a confident look to impress the council. There were however a few gasps and grunts of disagreement.

An old man decided to speak up. "Milord, I am sorry but I would have to be against your decision request."

"State your reasons why counselor."

"Well milord, I am comfortable to say I speak for most of the high counselors against this. It is because we do not believe he is capable of leading an army and because of another reason regarding his appearance."

Chrom spoke out to defend Robin. "I believe he is fully well capable of leading our soldiers. Without him, we would not be standing where we are right now."

"Smaller armies are much easier to command but also, from what I heard. If what the people say is true, then he's not supposed to be here. Milord, he could be a spy for Plegia and when he finishes scouting our kingdom, he will take us all down."

Emmeryn rebuttaled, "If you think leading an army is easy. We should also appoint you shall we? From what I hear, it is a daunting and stressing role to lead an army. Their lives are in your hand and every action you order them to do."

"Your majesty, I am not trying to sound rude but we have to take precaution towards him."

There was an uneasy feeling flowing around the council room, especially for Robin, who still had butterflies in his stomach_. I should have known there would be some backlash. I should speak up about the matter to gain their trust._

"What we should have done was hold him in our dungeons as soon as you arrived." The rest of the advisors murmured amongst themselves. Robin cleared his throat to capture their attention. Dozens of eyes beamed at him with signs of discomfort, pity and anger. "E-excuse me sir. May I speak."

"Of course, friend." said Chrom.

"I now understand why the people have been acting oddly towards me since my arrival. I know i am not fully welcome here because of the possibility that I am from Plegia. However, I owe the Exalt, Prince and Princess a debt that I must pay and what best to do that than with my military tactics. This may sound outrageous and difficult to believe but I am an amnesiac." he paused momentarily for a response. As expected the high counselors laughed.

"Haha an amnesiac? So, you are trying to tell me that you forgot everything about who you are and where you came from but you still retained your knowledge in strategy?"

_Putting it like that, it does seem very hard to believe._ Robin thought to himself. "I believe the actions that I have done in the short amount of time I have been with Chrom and the Shepherds show the dedication I am willing to put for the Exalt and the Halidom of Ylisse. I know I can help this army achieve peace." he pleaded.

"What if all these acts are just so you can get close to us and take us out one by one?"

"I guess that is where the trust part comes in. All i ask is for you to give me your trust and confidence."

There was silence in the air as the high counselors were giving thought towards his plea. The tactician anxiously waited for an answer. His heart pounded hard and his breath sounded loud to him.

The high counselor gave a hefty sigh. "I shall put my trust in you boy. If anything appears out of line, then there shall be severe consequences."

Robin gave a swift bow. "Thank you, sir, I will not let you or the Exalt down."

"We are placing a high amount of trust towards you, young man. Please do not let us down." Robin nodded in agreement. The meeting continued as scheduled with no interruption. Everyone agreed with the plans even though there was some debate on a couple of issues.

"I thank you all for attending this meeting. This meeting has now concluded. We will have another meeting soon so please watch for announcements for the next couple of days." said the Exalt.

Everyone stood up except for a few and left the room in an orderly fashion until the only people left were the Exalt, Chrom, Lissa, Frederick, Phila, and Robin. The exalt looked at her brother. "I am glad things went smoothly." she smiled.

"I was expecting more bickering but this meeting was a good success." replied Chrom. The prince looked at Robin. "What are you thinking my friend?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I am just glad that I have the trust of the high council. Exalt Emmeryn and Chrom, thank you for vouching for me. It means a lot coming from the both of you to put your trust in me."

"You have proven yourself when we needed you most Robin." Chrom fired back. "Now that we got this meeting out of the way. What will you do now?" he said curiously.

"Nothing in spectacular. I plan on walking around the halidom and see what this kingdom has." From all this fighting, Robin figured he needed a break and walking around the kingdom would be a pleasant way to relax.

Lissa felt all giddily to his plan. "Oh, I can show you around!" She put her hands together. "Please Robin, can i join you.

Robin laughed a bit. "I'd be glad if you joined. Besides, you promised me a tour remember. I would also like to shop for some clothes and I think you know the best places to look for them. Just please do not bring your frog along."

"Wahhh? What frog." she acted flabbergasted. Seems that the princess has not told her siblings about her little pet. He came up with something to avoid getting her in trouble. "HHmm sorry must have been someone else." shaking his head.

"Oh ok." She formed her lips to say the words thank you. He understood what she said.

"If any of you would like to speak with me. I will be in my quarters after I come back." Emm and Chrom nodded.

"Ehem, Robin. I was hoping to speak with you right now if I may." said Frederick

"Of course, what would you like to talk about?"

"Since you are a member of the Shepherds. You are required to participate in our daily physical training routines. Tomorrow, I will be training you on a one on one basis so we can get in in shape."

"Alright. When will we be meeting tomorrow?"

Frederick gave a smile. The kind of smile though that would intimidate almost anyone.

"Do not fret. I will let you know when it is time."

Robin became nervous and gulped.

"O-Ok, I will be looking forward to it. Shall we get going now Lissa."

"Mhm."

As the two made their way towards the town, Robin felt optimistic over what just happened. Now all he must do is prove that I am up to the challenge. With the help of his friends, he is confident that the future looks bright.

**A/N I'd like to start by saying WOW, it has been a little more than a year since I posted my last chapter and I'd like to apologize and thank those who have been patient with me. College has been keeping me busy and along with several other things. Rest assured though that I have not lost interest in this project. I am happy to say that ROACT has surpassed 1,400 views. I never would have imagine getting this many views or that I would even be posting a fanfic online and I thank you all for helping me get this far. Shout out to PRemington900 for giving a shout out to my story and I encourage you all to check out his fanfic ****Fire Emblem Awakening: The Tactician Magician****. I did feel rusty writing this chapter since it has been quite a while since posted something. By reading, i'd be happy to say i'll be back to my former self in the next couple of chapters. Currently typing the first support and writing the next chapter. All I ask of you again is to give me time. Reviews are greatly appreciated always. Until next time.**


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